Water and Lightning
by Jysella
Summary: It was once Pokeshipping week 2015-day 1-Misty never left but now it is something much longer. I hope. If pokemon were a show in which characters aged and bad things could happen then Ash and Misty missing the ferry to Hoenn might turn out like this.
1. Into the Woods

A/N: So this started out as a pokeshipping week prompt and now its….this…so…we're going to see if I can't make this go for like a multi-chapter thing with an actual plot…I make no promises though…dear gods I wish I knew what I was doing

Into the Woods

They tumble into the center, startling whoever is at the door to lock up. Neither notices. The night is closing in behind, pressing in like a dark pulse. You don't stay outside in the dark here, wherever here is. They're lucky to have made it. They really thought they'd have had to camp tonight and that was never a good plan. It used to be they'd only stay at a center if they were near one or the weather was bad. That had been before, way back when they'd been near The League.

It's storming too. Little bullets of rain that shifts to ice sharp needles of glass for the last mile or so of their sprint to the doors. It's only around seven and already the sky is black. Blindingly so like it only ever is in the caves in Kanto.

This never would have happened when Brock was with them. He kept such careful track of towns and times and centers. No if they'd been with Brock they'd have found somewhere to sleep hours ago and been set up and enjoying a warm dinner. Maybe even already asleep, dreaming of the next days' adventure. Arceus, if Brock had been with them they wouldn't have missed the ferry and had to travel by foot and Lapras towards Hoenn. And that was really it. Brock had been with them for six years. Six years of fights and corrections and instructions and guidance. Six years during which Ash and Misty had only had to grow up.

But now, now they were in charge of their journey in a way they hadn't been since the first months of their tenth year. And they'd messed up. They'd missed the ferry and this…

This isn't Kanto or Johto or the Orange Islands. This, this is different. Professor Oak had taken a look at the map they'd pulled out and his face had gone white. He'd called it the badlands, even though the maps called it Strayanthe, and begged them to wait for the next ferry. But they 'knew' could handle it. They were sixteen and hardly the inexperienced children that they had started out as.

They didn't want to wait and the trip through the Strayanthe was only, really, an extra two or three months by the map. They'd lose that much time waiting for the next boat anyway.

There isn't a League here. They knew that, of course, going in, but hadn't considered what that meant. After all they'd spent their lives in one League or another. Mew, Misty had grown up in a League outpost. The absence of a League made about as much sense as a champion magikarp.

It's not just the absence of a League, though. No, it's that nothing here makes sense and they have no pokémon to fly them out and Lapras can only swim so far. So they continue through…They find towns, sort of. They're sparse, one or two sprinkled between settlements and ranches, and almost unrecognizable. But they're there. There are centers too, scattered almost at random—they're not set up like the ones in League territory. At best they're glorified pharmacies but more often even that is too generous. They're more, herbalist shops, and abandoned ones at that, stocked with whatever the locals can find. At least they almost always have a phone and a list of numbers where a Nurse Joy could, theoretically, be reached. They don't always have lobbies, though, or food or space for trainers needing a break. Few of the centers even have rooms for trainers to stay, mostly they have cots that can be pulled out in front of the medicine shelf and stayed in through the night. The phones can't reach anywhere but other centers in the area. They've tried everywhere-Johto, Kanto, Hoenn—but sometimes even just getting the next town over is a lucky break. Still, it's better than outside. Barely.

There isn't really a police force either. Most towns have a Jenny but she has too much to worry about to focus on fights in the stretches between towns and islands.

Still, they had been lucky tonight. And that's truly scary. Today, today had been a good day…out here. They're still standing, or working on standing anyway. They have all of their Pokémon and they have somewhere to sleep. Inside.

It was a close one though. Team Rocket had discovered them hours away from the next pokémon center on their map and the fight…had not been a good one. Then again, fights never were good here. They still remember that first fight, days after they'd started the trek. They'd thought, Ash and Misty had, that the fight had been a joke. A battle just like one of the millions that Ash and Misty had won before. Jessie and James had a pattern; a motto, some banter, a brief battle and then Team Rocket blasting off again.

Only they didn't.

That first fight, and every single one afterwards, Team Rocket fought so hard and so fast that following and winning were less about training and courage and more about striking first. Team Rocket doesn't just go for the pokémon. It's a lesson written in the scars on their arms. Doctors are scarce here, as difficult to find as Nurse Joys in the area. Even then, most doctors cover several islands alone. A doctor can be called, of course, in case of emergency but those still standing at the end of a fight are rarely the biggest emergency of the day. And getting someone by phone is always a feat here.

Most towns had somebody—a village elder, a midwife, a wise woman—who could help. But, well, outsiders weren't always welcomed and at the end of the day it was sometimes easier to patch one another up then answer questions. Ash and Misty are getting alarmingly good at patching one another up.

But they were lucky today. Sort of. They'd won their fight, if you could call it winning, but their first aid kit—pilfered from a long abandoned center in an empty town—had run out. They were beginning to believe they'd have to camp in the dark with a storm threatening. It would have been a bad night. Ash could hardly see through a black eye and broken nose and Misty was favoring her right ankle. Still, they couldn't camp. Misty threw an arm over Ash's shoulder, handed him Togepi and pointed out the path as they limped along. They were picking their way up a hill, the temperature dropping quickly, when they found him, an old man berry hunting on the outskirts of an unmarked town. He's alone, the old man is, and dirty. No pokémon nearby and no pokeballs anywhere on him. But that's not terribly unusual out here. And he is old, or at least unkempt. His clothes are worn and muddied and he has a shock of blue tinged white hair that trails from his head to a ratty mess near his feet. He didn't have to help them and Misty was almost surprised he had. She and Ash must have looked a horror trudging up that hill in the rain bruised and bloody and stumbling. Still, even with the help, the man made Misty shiver-though that might have been the night—and she shied away from his almost purple nails when he picked out an unmarked center on their worn map.

It had started raining a mile before they reached the center and they'd begun running. Pikachu had shoved his way into Ash's jacket and Misty had placed Togepi in her bag and they had ran. And ran. And ran. Until neither could breathe and they were wet and cold and shivering and tumbling through doors with a crudely marked pokeball on the front.

There's a gasp as they spill into the weakly lit lobby. Misty doesn't hear it. Her world has narrowed to her breath. In and out and in. She coughs and it echoes beside her. Her ankle wobbles and her knees give and something thuds beside her but she's…not on the ground. Something…Ash?

Ash lowers Misty to the floor and she falls to her knees beside him coughing as she catches her breath. His own hitches painfully in his chest. Dimly he hears a wheeze pick up as he starts to shiver. There's another gasp and Misty looks up and promptly chokes on her own surprise. It's Nurse Joy. An actual Nurse Joy and yet, she looks…tired. In Kanto and Johto both, no matter when or how they found a center, the Nurse Joy there is always pristine and smiling with a chansey nearby. But this Joy—her uniform is stained and frayed around the edges and her hair is frizzed. There's a smudge on her cheek and she's not smiling. There is no chansey. But it's Nurse Joy and she can help.

Misty looks over to Ash and catches his eye, nodding over at the woman staring at them. Nurse Joy is gaping, her mouth working open and shut as though she can't find the words. She looks like a seaking and Misty, Misty starts laughing—a light girly sound shoved between coughs and gasps. Ash can't help it, he smiles and then, surprising even himself, laughs along. It hurts, roughly coming up past air he can't choke down, but it's so funny. He has tears streaming down his cheeks when Joy breaks out of whatever has been holding her silent.

"Are you two ok?" Joy asks, keys hanging limply in her hand. She sounds wrong, her voice is rough but that could be them because really, they must look a sight.

They're dripping wet, drenching the floor with mud and water and blood. There's a Pikachu wriggling his way out of a jacket and a Pokémon crying in a red bag. And they're laughing as though nothing is wrong and the sun is shining and they can't hear the screams that make up the night here. Ash is still struggling to catch his breath enough to talk when Misty replies "Yes. We'd like a room though." The Joy nods, smiling to have something to do. She steps around them and locks the doors before near skipping to her computer.

"Trainer Id?" she asks. Ash fumbles for his pokedex while Misty hands over a well-loved gym badge. Joy takes both offered items and looks them over. She types so information into an old computer, groaning as the light blinks unevenly. "One room or two?" She asks, frowning at the screen.

"One." They say together. Joy nods again and it's weird. They know that they don't care around here but it's so strange to be offered one room. It wouldn't be a choice in Kanto or the Orange Islands or even Johto. They're too old, or too young, to be sharing a room alone. In Kanto, if they couldn't afford two rooms, they'd have been sent to one of the trainer hostels that every center ran. They thought, The League did, that keeping all of the trainers together in one hall would prevent anything untoward from happening. Of course, if Gary's stories were to be believed, throwing twenty plus teenagers into a room really stopped nothing.

Joy glances at them again, a small darting look that quickly refocuses on the computer as though staring at them is painful. "Ok." She says. And maybe they'd have been given their own room even in Kanto to avoid scaring the new trainers if this Joy can't even look at them. She hands over their room key, smiling with her eyes screwed shut and asks if there's anything else she can do for them.

Ash and Misty shake their heads in a unison that Brock would have commented on had he been there, and make their way over the elevator. They're too tired and achy to handle the stares. It's only as they're stepping through the doors that Ash thinks to call for a first aid kit. Nurse Joy throws it towards them from the desk and both Ash and Misty watch it arc across the center, neither sure they have the energy to move towards it.

The first aid kit lands in the elevator as the doors slide shut, locking them in the mirrored room with an echoing thud. Pikachu wriggles out of Ash's jacket and walks over to it, smelling it tentatively as though it might attack. Togepi's wails quiet to soft snores. She's cried herself to sleep. Ash and Misty look up almost together and wince. Their faces are reflected in the dinted metal of the elevator and there's nowhere they can look that they don't see blood and mud and scrapes and scars. Even Pikachu is scratched.

Ash chokes on a sob but Misty shakes her head. They can't do that yet. Later, later when they are locked behind a door and patched and clean they can fall apart. Later. But now? Now they have to find the pieces. She glances at Pikachu first, the electric rodent was so good at getting into the fray without getting hit and it shows. He is dirty and his fur is ruffled but he gives Misty a tired _chu_ when he notices her eye. Though there is some blood matted behind his ear, Misty is sure he's escaped injury. The blood is probably Ash's, he had thrown himself in front of Pikachu after all.

She looks to Ash next, not wanting to meet her own eyes, and evaluates his injuries in a pattern that's become routine. Legs, arms, chest then face. He's scratched up, of course-razor leaf will do that—and his eye has all but swelled shut but Misty doesn't see anything that can't be handled by a first aid kit. Thankfully.

There's no way they'd get a doctor tonight. Maybe in the morning—this center actually has a Nurse so, who knows; the phone may work. It may even call out. The elevator jostles and Misty stumbles, crying out as she puts weight on her leg. Ash's eyes dart to her from his examination of Pikachu and in his cringe she knows she has not been as lucky.

Ash reaches out his hand and, for a moment, Misty thinks he's going to brush her hair back from her cheek. It's a moment that ends when everything stings and tears fill her eyes and Ash pulls back his hand with fingertips stained red.

"That's going to need stitches," he mumbles. Misty nods numbly. Something trickles down her jaw and it's warm and wet and heavy. She doesn't want to handle it. At least it's her though. Ash is much better at stitches. Even seeing out of only one eye he's better than she is.

Misty takes a deep breath. The elevator dings, doors sliding open into weak light and shabby halls. She leans on Ash and together they limp shivering into the hall. Their room is blissfully the first one out of the doors. Ash leans Misty against the wall and fumbles with the keys, dropping them from shivering fingers before Pikachu takes them from the floor and gets them, somehow, into the door. Pikachu has brought the first aid kit too, dragging it along behind them in his teeth. They spill through the door into a room with two beds, a drawer and a scratched floor. There's a small bathroom just off the entrance and window that's boarded up. But it looks clean and when the door clicks shut, they're alone.

"I'm going to settle Togepi." Misty says, wincing into the room. Ash pushes her to the bed closest the door and takes her bag from her.

"I got it." He says. Gently he takes the baby pokémon out of Misty's bag and settles it on the bed closest the boarded window. The pokémon stirs and chirps tiredly at Ash before cuddling into the pillow it's placed on. Pikachu jumps up beside Togepi on the bed and nuzzles into Ash's hand, before curling up to sleep. Ash brushes the worst of the mud and dirt from Pikachu's fur.

"He's ok." Misty says and Ash nods. Pikachu is ok, but Misty.

"Stitches," Ash says again, gesturing at Misty's cheek.

"Let's clean up first." She gestures at herself covered in dirt and grime and then at Ash dressed roughly the same. He fetches towels from the bathroom and wets them down. Neither has the energy for a shower but at least they can pretend to get clean. They change, carefully putting on whatever fresh clothing they have left, and then sit on the bed across from one another with the first aid kit between them. Together they open it and pour through it like kids on Christmas morning, only they pull out gauze and rubbing alcohol instead of new toys and games. Ash's mouth sets into a grim line when he pulls out a curved needle. Now they just need thread and….there's no thread. They've emptied the kit and there is no thread.

"Bandages?" Ash asks, Misty shakes her head.

"Fishing line. It's in my bag." Ash retrieves it and threads the needle, sterilizing everything in the peroxide Misty pulls from the kit.

"Ready?" Ash set's the needle to her skin. Misty glances over at Togepi and Pikachu sleeping and nods, biting her lip. Ash starts. Five stitches later her eyes are tearing and her knuckles are white, twined into the rough bedding so tightly she may have cut herself on the fabric, but the pokémon are still asleep.

"Thanks" Misty murmurs quietly, voice rough with unshed tears. Ash says nothing, leaning over to clean a different gash under her eye. They're silent for a moment but it's not the quiet of focus, it's the silence of saying nothing when the air is full of words unsaid. "What's the matter Ash?"

"I don't know Mist, I did just stitch your face up." The words should be sarcastic but they're empty, mike he's hiding something he doesn't want to say. Misty can feel herself getting angry, what in the world does he think he can't say to her. Doesn't he trust her? She's followed him for six years. Arceus, hasn't she shone that she trusts him?

"Try again, Ketchum." Misty replies.

"It's nothing." He says, waving his hand dismissively. "Don't we need to wrap your ankle?"

"Tauros, stop changing the subject." Misty spits, Ash looks down and Misty instantly feels sorry. "Yeah. My ankle needs wrapping."

Ash grabs a wrap from the kit between them and settles himself by her ankle, studiously ignoring her face. For several moments he says nothing and Misty closes her eyes, assuming the conversation is done. It wouldn't be the first time. Without someone to referee they've learned to drop fights before they start.

"Do you regret it?" Ash asks in a quiet voice. Eyes closed and sleep drawing her in, Misty murmurs a response automatically—a tuneless hum that she carries on until the words break in through the fog of her exhaustion. Does she regret what? There's nothing for her to—oh. This again? She'd thought they'd gotten over that in the first week. This, whatever this was, was her choice.

Her eyes shoot open, but Ash's head is down, focused on his task. "No." Ash nods, but keeps his eyes down. Misty scoffs and leans over to stop him. "Hey," She says, placing one hand over his and using the other to draw his eyes to her. "I don't regret it."

"Yeah ok," Ash says, voice betraying his disbelief.

"Ash, what? You think you somehow convinced me to come with you even though I wanted to go back?" Misty asks, tiredly. Ash shakes his head but his good eye is wide and Misty knows that she's hit his fear exactly. "Mew, when have I ever done something I didn't want to do?"

"But the gym closed and we…." He trails off gesturing to the bandages in his hand and the Pokémon asleep on the other bed. Misty shakes her head.

"The gym was my parents dream. Not mine. Not my sisters. I made a choice and so did they." Ash nods, ties off the bandage and looks up. He's not crying, not yet, but his eyes are red and it's not just the blooming shiner that's causing it. "Hey, I don't regret it. Besides, if I had gone home you probably would have made the ferry and then…what? Forced some poor Hoenn girl to follow you around by frying her bike? Please Ketchum, you wouldn't last three days without me." Misty smiles.

Ash grins, "I think I would have lasted longer than that. The ferry takes at least two."

Misty raises an eyebrow, "I stand by my prediction." On the next bed Pikachu coos in his sleep and Ash sighs.

"Asleep and still agreeing with Misty?" Another sleepy coo comes from the bed and Misty giggles. "You really don't regret it though? Coming with me, I mean?"

Misty sighs and launches forward, smacking his shoulder lightly before hugging him. "You are denser than a slowpoke sometimes, Ash. Of course I don't regret it. I didn't regret it when we first got here, I didn't regret it when we decided to keep going through instead of turning around. And I don't regret it now. Though I do regret not having my bike…" she trails off and ducks, laughing, as Ash swipes at her head. He's smiling now. They're clean, almost, and as patched up as they're going to get, the pokémon are asleep and the door is locked and they are something approaching safe.

He throws his arm around Misty again, hugging her to him, and falls sideways pulling her to the bed. She giggles all the while. They're so different then the ten year olds they were. The kids who would have blanched at the blood and screamed and flushed at the contact. Instead, when they land with Misty nearly atop him, she sighs and rests her head against his chest. She's warm and he's exhausted. His breathing slows.

Misty feels her breathing start to match his and her eyes drift ever closer. She spares a glance back over to the other bed, with Pikachu and Togepi sleeping away. She should probably move. Pikachu doesn't usually shock her when she moves him over to Ash. But this bed is comfortable and Ash is warm. She can get up in a little while. Maybe after a short nap. Of not. There is no one out here who knows who they are. No one to complain or notice or comment or tell them they really should sleep in separate beds. It is just them and for now, that's enough.


	2. Nightmares

A/N: so if you read chapter one when I originally posted it then you may want to go back and re-read it. I changed a lot to fit the story that its becoming...but it is fundamentally the same story mostly

Nightmares

Hot.

It's overwhelmingly hot.

Misty tosses in her sleep, tripping her legs in too rough blankets. It's fire. The air is sand in the desert; dry and rough and …

Heavy? Why is it so heavy?

She can't breathe. She can't think. She can't...

Move?

Across her stomach there's something...an arm?

Ash.

Misty breathes a sigh of relief. Ash. She'd fallen asleep beside Ash. In a pokémon center in...well…she wasn't sure what town exactly they were in. or if it was a city. But they were inside. And safe. Probably.

It's cold, now that she's actually awake. Then again the nights always are. They'd found that out the first night, when they'd decided to camp. They'd been told of course at the port city that they couldn't, that it was just not a thing that was done.

But then, well, it had taken more of the day then they'd thought to reach the next town on the map. And the forest had been so nice…

They had been idiots.

They didn't set up a tent. It was warm and through the trees they could almost see sky, they'd thought that a night under the stars would be nice. They usually camped under the stars when it was warm enough and without Brock to help, setting up camp took time.

Then the sun had fallen and with it all of the warmth had bled from the air. It was too cold even to shift closer together and so they had shivered a foot apart...at least until the first screams had started. They were unlike anything either Ash or Misty had ever heard before, deep guttural rage filled calls that filled the night like water in a glass.

It made Misty's hair stand on end.

They didn't sleep that night and in the morning fought like hadn't since they were ten. They'd tried to turn back, head back to the port town and Kanto to catch the next ferry but hadn't been able to find the path. They'd spent, the morning after their night outside, near to three hours searching for the path back. They'd tripped over roots and bloodied their knees and screamed at one another until Pikachu shocked them silent, all to no luck. The path back didn't exist. It was almost as if it slipped out of their vision when they turned around. So they had walked on, figuring that someone in the next town could point them back. But no one could. It was always like that, the locals had said, you went around or through the region in one direction. You didn't turn back. Not even a hoothoot could point the way.

Misty turns again, trying to push herself up from the bed. She's shivering now and thinks that maybe she should see if the heater is on. Or existant. She's not getting back to sleep tonight anyway, she never does when she wakes up like this. Ash pulls her back down, tucks her against his body.

"Sleep, Mist." He says, gruffly. Misty sighs and settles back in-he's warm-and her eyes drift shut.

And open to water.

Her mouth opens.

And shuts.

Instantly.

Water floods her mouth and nose. Her eyes sting.

Salt.

It tastes like salt.

Her arms are slow, muscles straining through molasses. She can't…

Instinct takes over. Years and years of Cerulean training and she's swimming up to a lightening streaked sky. Her legs kick, slow but sure and steady. Her lungs burn. She needs…

Air!

Head clearing, she looks around. Her mind buzzes and ears ring. She feels, more than sees, a wave crest and gulps air before her head is under. She can't keep this up. Her muscles are already sore…she needs…her pokémon!

Wait…

Togepi!

Still under the water, she whips her bag around. It's closed tight but she can feel the baby pokémon inside. Misty breathes out and with her relief, so goes her air. That was stupid. She kicks to the surface again, but falters. Pins and needles and churned ocean floor beat against her arms and legs and face until…

Air.

She has a moment, before the waves crash again, where she can see the sky filled with purple clouds and the sea filled with water pokémon swimming towards…something. An island? New island!

A board drifts past her, bobbing in rough seas. And a body with long red hair and another with blue. She thinks, for a moment, that a third body is missing when her foot catches a current and another wave crests and she fumbles for a pokeball.

A red arc of energy and then, "Thank Arceus, Staryu." She mumbles through cold lips, and grabs hold as the water closes above her. Staryu pulls her back up, cold air blasting rain like knives against her face. Brock should be here. And Ash. She looks around, two hands bracing herself as keeps as much height as she can. It's freezing above the water, frozen below. She can't feel her legs, her arms are shaking but…

There!

A green vest. Brock. She and Staryu push over to him and pull him aboard. They shouldn't fit. Brock alone hasn't fit on Staryu in years, with Misty…but they do.

Her head spins and for a moment she's watching from far above, the two of them looking around. She hears herself, in a voice that's embarrassingly high, ask if Brock's seen Ash and Pikachu and her heart falls as he shakes his head. From above she sees the wave crash over their heads and then feels the air go out of her lungs. The world blurs.

Blue, everything is blue.

And black.

And Inky.

But there's a hand and she grips it. Together Squirtle and Staryu pull them up.

"We have to stick together!" one of the boys calls. "It's the only way we'll make it." Misty can't tell who has spoken, the voice is so…childish to her ears. Still, she nods. Grips Ash tighter and together they struggle forward until the current tugs them smoothly under. There's no time. They have to get…somewhere…up? The air bubbles from Misty's lungs. Her vision fuzzes around the edges. She shuts her eyes….

…and opens them to her cheek smashed against a rough pillow. She's soaked, drenched in sweat, and shivering. Beside her Ash rolls over, tugging with him the last if the thin blankets. She's not cuddled against him anymore. She's at the opposite edge of the bed, her arm trailing off the thin mattress. Her hand is curled against a dusty floor and trailing in something sticky. Repulsed, she jerks her hand back and accidentally smacks Ash's shoulder.

He bolts up. "What? What's happening?" He looks around, glances blearily at Misty. "You ok, Mist?" She nods and he falls back against the bed, rolling over to pull all of the covers with him. Misty shivers.

"Give back the blankets, Ketchum." She hisses, glancing over at the sleeping pokémon on the other bed. Ash grunts in response and Misty scoffs. "I'm not kidding Ashy-boy, give them back." He grunts again and Misty sighs. Sparing another glance at the sleeping pokémon, she leans over and shakes Ash roughly.

"Hey, what's with the earthquake?" He asks loudly. Pikachu lazily opens an eye and reprimands him with a hoarse _pika_.

Misty shakes her head, "You took all of the blankets."

"Did not." He whispers, offended.

"Did too, hand them over."

"Did not."

"Did too," Misty grabs the blankets under Ash and gives a hard tug. He doesn't move but she falls backwards off the bed. He catches her arm as she flails and pulls her back. She squeals and from the other bed comes the telltale crackles of Pikachu powering up. They fall silent and Pikachu, seemingly satisfied that they've stopped, settles back down. It's still late. The room is dark, bathed in the black of the darkest nights that Misty has seen. She takes a dep breath and turns to Ash, muttering _blanket thief_ under her breath.

"I heard that," He snickers, pulling the extra blankets from himself. "But since I'm not a thief, I'll share." And he holds them out. Misty reaches for them but he grabs her arm, tugging her back into the middle of the bed. "It's still night. Go back to sleep." And she doesn't think she will. But his breathing slows and Togepi coos and Pikachu offers a sleep slurred _chuu_ and it's a sound not unlike the waves on the Cerulean beach. Her eyes drift shut.

And open somewhere high.

She's looking down, three trainers sit in a large stone hall filled with pokémon. They all look tired and wet but they talk and joke as if everything is fine. Their pokémon run and swim and fly. _Fools_ Misty thinks, and is unsure where it comes from. From somewhere to her left—the lab, her mind supplies—she hears machines turn on. The hum of electricity fills her mind and then it cuts off, replaced by concerned grumbles and questions. Meowth's voice intercedes and the concerned grumbles resolve into the worried voices of Jessie and James. Misty takes a deep breath, but nothing moves. Her mouth doesn't open, her lungs don't inflate, and any panic she had vanishes into confusion. What in the world is happening? Meowth calls out in alarm and the machines turn back on. Misty scoffs, though why, she has no idea, and looks back down into the stone room.

The trainers are introducing themselves and their pokémon, marveling that they're the only ones to have made it to New Island. Well, two of them marvel at this, the third laughs.

"There's no way I wouldn't have made it." He boasts.

The only girl of the group laughs uncomfortably at this, "Well, from the look of it, we've all been training for a while." She says before a look of horror crosses her eyes. "I hope everyone else has made it."

The third pf the group shakes his head grimly. "I saw a lot of pokémon go under out there, from up above?" and he nods at his pidgeot. "Some of those other trainers were young."

All three trainers look away at that, hoping that the others have made it. Misty knows many haven't. There were near twenty trainers that started out to the island riding on their swimming and flying pokémon. Six made it.

 _Six_? Misty wonders, unsure how she knows this. There are only three in the hall. And then suddenly Misty has a moment where she feels as though she's seeing out of four eyes at once. She's following Ash and Brock up a beach and watching the three trainers interact below and it's too much.

Much too much.

Her head hurts.

She clutches her head and kneels to the ground. But even as the sand bites into her knees, she knows she hasn't moved and is still somewhere high, body ramrod straight. And breathes.

One breath in.

One breath out.

Her chest never moves.

She closes her eyes. And looks out only on a stone room with three trainers and their pokémon.

The pain is gone and she opens her eyes.

It's a decision she regrets.

Ash and Brock are gone, somewhere up ahead if their distant voices mean anything, and the stone room is there but phantomed against her vision are two bodies, lifeless and blue, lying on a beach. The same bodies she knows are in the lab beside her. She feels her mouth open in a wordless scream that she hears as though from a distance before a voice calls her to catch up. She swallows her scream and hurries ahead before her vision snaps and she's looking up at an endless ceiling with a pidgeot flying above. She stumbles, feet hitting the stone like a hand on a door and someone grabs her arm to steady her.

"You ok, Mist?" the voice asks, and Misty has to look down to see who it is. Ash? She hasn't been taller than him since they were thirteen.

"You didn't get hurt in the water did you?" Another voice asks. Misty looks up to see Brock staring down at her, concern etched on his face.

"I'm, fine." She groans weakly. "Did you see…" but then the other trainers are running up to them and excitedly introducing themselves. She's exhausted and leans against Ash, closing her eyes as they talk.

And opens her eyes to a still dark room. "Again?" she says to the quiet room. Her arms flail on the bed in frustration. She's still drenched, though not shivering tucked as she is next to a living furnace.

"You say something, Mist?" Ash asks, voice somehow strange after the Ash from her dream. Misty shakes her head, eyes already drifting shut. Something knocks against the door, a rhythm that lulls her down.

And up.

Her eyes shoot open in a stone room with strangely colored pokeballs flying all around her. She can't see how they're floating, these strange things. There's no energy anywhere around them.

And yet.

They fly.

For a moment, Misty is dizzy, watching them soar from the ground and air in unison. She stares, straight ahead, closes her eyes and hopes she's somewhere else when they open.

The moment passes and she opens her eyes to the stone room, staring at She staring at Squirtle and Bulbasaur. They are back to back in a corner, shooting the strange pokeballs down. Some older trainers are swatting them away from what Misty assumes are their own pokemon. A ninetails is pulled into a pokeball and a pidgeot and tentacruel.

Behind her, Misty knows her Psyduck is out, whining as the pokeballs come close. Togepi is in her bag, crying, but Misty knows the baby is as safe as possible. She watches horrified as pokeball flies close to Psyduck and is relieved as Staryu shoots it down. Another two are right on its tail and they pull Psyduck and Staryu within.

"Hey," Misty says. And that vertigo returns, tumbling her as her vision is doubled. No one notices and it clears as she shakes her head, though not before she has a weird view of a pink and purple creature reflected in a pool below her.

"You've got to hit them away." Brock says, smacking one from Vulpix.

"Mewtwo can't catch them if they're in their pokeballs." Ash suggests from across the room, recalling Bulbasaur and Squirtle. The strange pokeballs claim his pokémon almost instantly. Pikachu shocks a flock of the strange things as they come close and starts running, Ash running after him.

 _Mewtwo?_ Misty wonders but can't puzzle for long as Togepi trills in alarm. Unthinking she swats the strange pokeball away and gasps in pain. It's cold where it hits her. Her arm stings like a beedrill attack. The strange pokeball falls to the ground as soon as it touches her arm, whatever force has been keeping it up clearly gone. Misty looks around. None of the other trainers are reacting in pain when the pokeballs touch them. Maybe they're older, just used to the pain. But the pokeballs aren't falling either.

Her vision blurs again and she's looking down at herself, swatting the strange pokeballs away and wondering why they are failing. She's going to do something about that when that young trainer catches her eye. She turns, though doesn't feel her neck move, to see him chasing after a pikachu running ever higher on a spiral stair. His feet knock on the stone dully, pounding on old stone like splintery wood. The pokeballs are flocking about the Pikachu, briefly falling when shocked only to return in greater number. The poor pokemon reaches the top of the staircase and jumps, trusting his trainer will catch him. The trainer tries, leaping after his pokemon only to catch the pokeball that captures the pikachu.

"Ash." Misty hears herself call from below, and suddenly is dizzy once more. She knows he follows Pikachu into a lab and yells at Jessie and James in passing—though she's sure that she's seen their bodies. But Misty doesn't know how she knows any of that. All she knows, as she closes her eyes to fight the waves of nausea, is that she's staring at herself from somewhere far above. Intrigued. She blinks.

And opens her eyes to a room filled with weak light. She sits up, shakes her head, and looks around. Togepi and Pikachu are still sleeping on the other bed. Beside her, Ash has laid claim to all of the blankets, again, and looks to be plotting an assault on her pillow. And she's…still drenched in sweat and exhausted and cold. She's done. Completely done. She'll just…stay awake until morning.

Walking to the next town when tired can't be a bad plan.

Really.

Ash will be there.

She should probably go back to sleep. Arceus only know what trouble he'll get them into in the morning if she's not paying attention. Though maybe they could stay another day…no. They need to keep moving and to move she needs to sleep.

Misty pulls her pillow back from Ash, tugs some of the blankets and lies down. Her pulse beats in her head like a steady knock but slowly, slowly, she drifts off.

And wakes up high above a battle. Pairs of identical pokémon are battling, though it looks like none of them are using any moves any trainer in any battle would call. They're smacking one another like children on a playground. Misty should stop it, stop them, she thinks. But then, suddenly, something pink flies at her and she staggers, falling back into an explosion of stone dust. For a moment she's dizzy, the world blurs and she's staring out both at a strange pokémon in a pink bubble and a field of pokémon fighting all around her. Before she can even rub her eyes, the bubble flies at her at the same time as charizard's tail hits her stomach. She flies backwards, hitting something sharp and bony and the pink bubble clears from her sight. The world shifts and from beneath her Ash groans, pushing Misty so that she hits the ground. It's a softer hit then she would have had, had she hit the ground first, but she hears it thud dully like a kick against wood.

"You ok?" Misty asks, once she's gotten herself upright.

Ash nods and turns his head out to the fight. "We've got to stop this." He says. His voice is wavering with tears threatening beneath his resolve. "Someone's gotta take a stand. Someone's gotta say "no" and refuse to fight. Just like Pikachu." He's turned away from her, eyes trained on the fight before them.

Misty turns and follows his gaze to find a pikachu clone slapping Pikachu. Pikachu is standing ramrod straight letting the hits happen without retaliating. As she watches, the clone collapses and Pikachu catches him. Misty gulps. She knows what happens here, somehow. She's seen it before a dozen times and she's sure she'll see it again. Ash is going to do something monumentally stupid. And she can't stop him. She never can. All she can hope is that he comes out of it the other side.

She reaches out a hand, thinking maybe she can grab him, at the same time as he dashes forward screaming "You've gotta stop right now!" Another strange moment of dizziness passes where she sees him running towards her at the same time as he is running away and feels a strange pressure building in her mind. The pressure ends and she sees and feels a beam headed straight towards Ash as he screams "Stooo-"he never finishes the word.

"Ash!" Misty hears herself say at the same time as Brock, distantly screams "Oh, no!" Ash clatters to the stone ground, dull and grey and rock. She watches him from two sides of the room thud to the ground in nauseating detail.

 _Fool! Trying to stop our battle._ Misty feels and hears herself think in a voice not her own. Her head spins and the double vision stops and she watches Pikachu run forward to shock Ash.

"Please, no" Misty whimpers as the pokémon start roaring all around her. And thudding. The whole of the room vibrates with heavy pounding knocks. The knocks grow louder and desperate as the pokémon cry. Then suddenly everything is glowing bright, blinding blue. Misty closes her eyes…

…and opens them to a room she's grown tired of waking up in. She bolts up in the weak blue light of the early morning, clutching her head. At least the pounding should be done. Misty flops back on her one pillow and looks over enviously at Ash, still fast asleep. The whole side of his face is one bruise and she shudders to think what she must look like. A sound like a fist on wood pours into the room and Misty curses, she would have sworn that was just in her dream.

Seriously considering rolling back over and trying, yet again, for a few moments of sleep, Misty stretches. She'd rather find out who has found them then return to that dream she can't seem to shake. She pats her head, trying to get her hair in some semblance of order before giving up. Its bad bedhead to be sure, but no one knows them out here. She throws her legs over the bed and stands on wobbly knees. A burst of pain shoots from her ankle and she curses to have forgotten that.

Out from beside Ash, the room is cold and she shivers, picking Ash's discarded jacket from the floor. It engulfs her, covering her from shoulder to mid-thigh and for a moment she misses the days when she was taller than Ash. The thought makes her shudder again as thoughts from her dream swim back to the surface. Misty doesn't remember any of that happening, though she hazily recalls being invited to new island for some tournament or another which had been canceled last minute.

Jacket wrapped firmly around her frame she goes to the door. Her hair is a mess and she must look frightful with the dreams she's been having, but no one knows her here. Likely it's just Nurse Joy letting them know their pokémon are healed or something of the like. Still, it's not always been safe her. She palms a poke ball and slides open the door.

Brock stands on the other side. She starts to exclaim in surprise but quickly catches herself and looks behind guiltily. Ash is still asleep and so are the pokémon. Quietly she steps through the door and shuts it, leaving it open a crack so that she can hear.

It's Brock.

It's honestly Brock.

He'll fix all of this.

She knows it.


	3. Checkpoint

A/N- So….now on with the scene that apparently has to be in every pokémon fic I write

Checkpoint

It's only as he raises his hand, preparing to knock, that Brock wonders if he even should. He shakes his head to clear it of the thought. Of course he should knock, he's-everyone's-been looking for Ash and Misty for months. And here they are. Together. In one room. Almost unbidden something Professor Oak had said days earlier bubbles to top of Brock's mind. It had been midnight, Delia had left to sleep, and Brock and the Professor had been waiting to hear back from The League when Professor Oak had asked Brock if they even should continue looking. In his experience, the Professor had said, trainers only went missing for two reasons; because they couldn't be found or didn't want to be. Brock had laughed the Professor off at the time, Ash and Misty had to be lost: they could barely find their way out of a paper bag with arrows and a map. But now, looking at their door, Brock isn't so sure. Certainly the ten year olds Brock had first met couldn't find their way around, but thinking on it now, Brock can't remember the last time Misty wasn't in charge of the map. He shakes his head again, clearing it of the thoughts, and knocks on the door.

Loudly.

No turning back now.

Maybe he should never have left in the first place. Mew, it's not like he hadn't known exactly what he was getting into when he agreed to return to Pewter. He had known practically as soon as Forrest's face had resolved on the other side of the phone. It hadn't been the first time in his travels that Brock had spoken to Forrest. No, Brock had been very careful to call home as often as possible, after all he had taken care of these kids for ages and spent four years as their only care taker. But this time, Forrest had looked so...exhausted. Brock had known what was happening even before Forrest had opened his mouth.

Brock had never trusted leaving the kids with Flint, the man had abandoned them so many time over Brock's own life that he hadn't imagined that Flint would stay. But Flint had promised and running a gym and caring for a family of children was exhausting. And doing it while you were still trying to grow up yourself? Nearly impossible. So Brock had been happy to leave.

When Forrest called, begging for help, Brock almost told him no. Forrest was older than Brock himself had been when he'd had to start taking care of everything and Brock was still needed here. But then, Brock knew firsthand the difficulties that was balancing battles with diaper changes and gym maintenance with midnight feeds. If he had been able to ask for help, Brock knew he would have. But he didn't want to leave Ash and Misty. At least, not until Misty had said that she too had to leave to take care of her own gym.

And that had settled it really, it was going to be an end of sorts. Brock and Misty leaving to their own gyms and Ash onto something new. They had been at the fork between their three home towns when Misty had changed her mind. She didn't want to go back to that gym. It wasn't her dream. She wouldn't do it. Together the three of them had gone to Pewter and Misty had called her sisters and told them the new plan. They had cried of course, but in the end they didn't want to run the gym either and so they closed it.

Brock had never been prouder of Misty. Somehow this spitfire of a ten year old who couldn't go two minutes without screaming at her self-proclaimed best friend, had grown up into someone who could make tough decisions without flinching. And, if Misty stayed with Ash, there was definitely a better chance that he'd survive through whatever came next for him. He didn't blame Misty either. The Cerulean Gym had such a bad reputation that any work she did there would be with League reps breathing down her neck. Arceus she could have put everything she had into it and still had the gym close.

It was the right decision.

Still, as Ash and Misty walked towards Pallet, Brock couldn't help but feel envious. They were going to get to do who could even tell while Brock was returning to a life of child care and battles. Though, he did have Forrest for help.

They developed a routine fairly quickly, Forrest and Brock did. Forrest handled the kids during the day. He got them up for school, got them fed and got them out the door, while Brock dealt with the gym. It switched at night, Forrest bringing the kids home and grabbing a quick meal before heading to the gym to handle late challengers and gym battles between homework and studying. It was probably school which had made it so hard for Forrest to keep up in the first place. None of the kids were in diapers and they all spent the whole day in classrooms. It would have been a dream come true for Brock back when he had been the only one caring for the whole family. But Brock had been enrolled in the trainer program since he'd been old enough to qualify. Yes he'd completed an education, technically, but it would be years of prep school if he ever wanted to do anything outside of training.

They kept this routine up for a month, slowly settling into something resembling normality and it seemed like this was going to be the future. At least it did until Lola had shown up. Brock didn't know his mother very well, for his entire childhood the woman had seemed to be around only when pregnant or when one of her children was too young for her to be gone. As soon as the kids were toddling, she was gone. So when she showed up, out of the blue, claiming to have run into Flint and come home to care for the gym and kids, Brock was suspicious. But the children loved her and Forrest mostly had the gym under control. It was only for school hours that Lola had to be in charge.

Forrest could handle that.

Forrest could definitely handle that.

Two months after leaving Ash and Misty, Brock set out for Pallet. He hadn't heard from either of them except for one message two months earlier. Misty hadn't said much in the call, and Brock hadn't been able to stay on the phone long, but she did let him know that she and Ash were on their way to Hoenn on the Ferry and that Ash's mom had an open date ticket waiting for Brock if he could come. That he hadn't heard from them again in the two months that followed hadn't concerned Brock at all. It was hard, sometimes, on the road to call out. Especially if Hoenn was anything like the mostly rural Johto. They'd call when they could and if anyone knew where Ash and Misty were, it would be Delia Ketchum. Brock had been certain, when he left Pewter, that he was only a little while away from finding Ash and Misty and setting out again on their Journey.

Brock shakes his head at the thought and pulls his ear from the door. There's been no movement in the room the entire time he'd been listening and thinking. They could just be asleep, and maybe he should try as well. After all, if he goes back to the lobby Nurse Joy will surely wake him up when Ash and Misty come down for their pokémon. But then, Brock isn't sure he wants to talk to them for the first time in three months with an audience. That thought in mind he lifts his hand to knock again.

It had been a long month trying to find them, and Delia and Professor Oak had been looking longer than that. It had been a shock when Brock had gotten into Pallet. He'd expected warm welcomes and word of Ash and Misty but instead had been met by a tight lipped Delia hoping that Brock had heard from her son. He hadn't, of course, and that's when Delia let him in on everything that had happened. They'd gone, apparently, to Strayanthe.

And that had, at first, been meaningless to Brock. He vaguely remembered Strayanthe from some history book or another. It had been a relatively important region before The War, lying somewhere between Kanto and Hoenn. But hardly anyone went there anymore, and people who did tended to stay. Brock had never really been interested in the region since they didn't have a League. But it was worse than that, Brock found out.

So much worse.

Professor Oak had called it the badlands. In his whole relationship with the pokémon professor, he had never been one to exaggerate. The badlands. It sounded terrifying. Supposedly, it was very difficult to get word in or out of the not-quite region. The Professor, Delia later told Brock, had begged the two of them not to go but both had been so confident that they'd be fine. Brock had to laugh at that, it was so much like them. But now, Brock had read everything he could find about Strayanthe and become more horrified with each crumb of information. There were practically no doctors. No police. No rules. Arceus, representative of any League tended to be at best kicked out and at worst…vanished.

Still, the Kanto League knew Ash well and Misty had practically grown up in it. They weren't willing to send a team of their own in but Lance had promised to fly someone in. Well, to air drop someone in really—landing and flying out of Strayanthe wasn't exactly possible. He wouldn't wait for them either, whoever the Professor sent, it was too dangerous for a known member of the Elite Four to stay long, but he would send a boat to the coast closest to wherever they were. Before Brock had come, Professor Oak had been going to send Gary, but Brock was a much better option. As they had grown, the rivalry between Ash and Gary had only gotten worse. There was no guarantee Ash would listen to Gary even if he was found. Brock though. Ash would listen to Brock, or Misty would make him.

They had a plan, all they had to do was find them. In the month that followed Brocks arrival in Pallet he, and Delia and Professor Oak and Tracey and Gary contacted every number they could find in all of Strayanthe. It wasn't many, but still, they sent out pictures and phone numbers and requests. Everyone they spoke to had seemed happy to help, but all had cautioned that in Strayanthe people sometimes…vanished.

Especially trainers.

It was disheartening. A month into the search, Brock was certain that they wouldn't find Ash and Misty. That maybe they had vanished like so many others. The little information there was about the area was mostly reports of trainers gone missing and pokémon dying. Team Rocket, even, was rumored to have a presence in the area. But then. Nurse Joy had called, claiming an Ash Ketchum traveling with Misty Waterflower had just checked into her center. Brock had the one to take her call and had called Lance before even telling The Professor and Delia what he had known.

The flight over on Lance's Dragonite was something Brock hoped never to repeat. But the whole month of searching and waiting and hoping had led him here. To this door.

To this one door.

To say that Brock had been surprised when Nurse Joy had given him one room number would have been to say that Gyarados was even tempered.

Brock takes a deep breath and pulls his ear from the door once more. There's no movement inside. It's just barely light out and he's been knocking for what feels like half the night. Maybe they've already left. No, they can't have left. Nurse Joy still has their pokémon downstairs and would definitely have told Brock if they weren't here.

They have to still be here.

Not wanting to give up, he knocks once more and has to stop himself from cheering aloud when he hears movement within the room. A pair of feet hit the ground and walk slowly to the door. Brock steps back and waits.

The door swings open and Brock opens his mouth to speak before promptly shutting it.

Misty answers the door, limping slightly as she swings it open. She looks exhausted, her skin is paler then Brock remembers it ever being and she has dark circles under her eyes. Her hair is down, as it often is when she sleep, and up at all angles. But Brock only barely notices her pallor, hair, the circles and the fact that it looks like she's gone a few rounds with a machamp. No the details that Brock takes in paint an entirely different picture of Misty then he is used to seeing.

She's flushed, a faint redness covering her face like the times her sisters have gotten hold of her with whatever new product they felt they needed to test on someone else first. Or, well, it's more substantial then that; much closer in color to the makeup they used for underwater shows: spectacular under the water but garish above. She's sweaty too, like she's just a finished a morning run. Though Misty rarely took those without Pikachu by her side. Still, her whole face glistens in the weak light of the growing morning. Which is…odd. It's cold. From the moment he had leapt from Dragonite, Brock had been shivering.

As cold as it is, Brock supposes they might have a heater on in the room. Well, probably not a heater. This doesn't look like the place to have them. But maybe, a fire pokémon out? As soon as he thinks it, Brock discards the idea. Misty, Brock is well aware, only has water pokémon and Professor Oak had mentioned that Ash had only brought along his Pikachu—something about starting a new Journey fresh in a new Region. Still it has been a few months, he doesn't know what Ash has caught. And the flush and sweat, easily could be explained by an overly warm room or a late night swim…somewhere.

But she looks so…exhausted. Much more so then anyone sleeping in a warm room should. And…is…is that Ash's jacket? It hits her knees and Brock can't see anything else Misty might be wearing.

She might just be wearing Ash's jacket.

Misty opens her mouth in shock at seeing him, but clasps a hand over it almost as suddenly. Eyes wide she looks at Brock and then behind herself, into the room. Over her shoulder, Brock can see Ash curled up on one of the beds. He's completely rolled up in the blankets and has pulled the pillows over his head in a move Brock is more than familiar with after six years of travel. It's getting light and so Ash is trying to hold onto the last vestiges of sleep. But it's not Ash, or specifically not just Ash which catches Brock's eye. What really draws his attention in the room is the fact that the other bed is untouched save for a sleeping Togepi and Pikachu.

Brock's eyebrows shoot to his hair.

Misty is flushed. And sweaty. And undressed.

Only one bed is slept in.

Misty looks like she hasn't slept.

He shouldn't have come; they don't want to be found.

Misty limps through the door and softly closes it behind her, leaving it slightly ajar. She and Brock can still hear everything inside, but if they are quiet, those still sleeping won't hear them. She smiles softly at him, leaning on the door.

"We had a late night." She says, hoarsely. It's more sensitivity towards Ash then Brock has ever seen her show. Usually she'd talk as loud as she wanted and wake him up if he heard.

The again though, usually they'd be in two different rooms or a trainer hall. Not cozied up in one. Though, Brock supposes, if he were truly honest with himself, he's not surprised. Even in the trainer halls and in sleeping bags camping, the two had usually slept beside one another. Arceus, Jigglypuff had even begun drawing pictures across their faces for a large canvass as they always fell asleep on one another whenever she sang.

Lost in his thoughts as he is, Brock is knocked off balance when Misty throws herself in his arms, sobbing. He can't make out her words at first and so does the only thing he can and hugs Misty back, soothing a hand down her hair. Slowly, Misty stops shaking and finally pushes herself away, taking deep breaths as she does.

"I can't believe you found us. Brock. Oh, Mew. It was…" and she trails off, eyes and voice wavering.

Brock cringes wondering if she's going to start crying again. He's never been good at dealing with Misty when she was upset. Ash was always the one who sought her out and helped her work through whatever it was that had upset her. Actually, thinking of it now, Brock's never been good at handling an upset Ash either. No, it was always Misty in those cases who snapped Ash back to his cheerful self. The two of them almost always knew how to fix the other and took turns talking to him.

Misty sniffles and scrubs a hand across her eyes. "Terrible. Brock it was terrible."

Brock looks at the door once more, with Ash sleeping inside, and turns back to Misty, her face still flushed and shiny. He opens his mouth and then shuts it, aware that he's doing an excellent magikarp impression but completely unsure what to say. He doesn't want to…even think about what she's clearly implying.

How does one?

Isn't that what she has sisters for?

For a moment Brock wishes that he'd let Gary or even Tracey come and find the two. Not that he thinks either boy would be better at handling the particular situation, but if they were here, he wouldn't be. It's a moment that passes quickly. He can handle this. He's been pretty sure this was coming since he first started traveling with them. Everyone they've met has been pretty sure this was coming. He should probably call…all of Kanto?

Well, if he could call out anyway.

"Brock?" Misty asks, confused.

Brock shakes his head. Right. She's still here and he should probably say…something.

"It gets better." Brock starts, inwardly cringing at the words. The girl has three older sisters, surely one of them has talked to her.

Misty cocks her head as though she has no idea what he's talking about. "What?" she asks.

Brock's face falls. He does not want to spell this out. "It's only really supposed to hurt the first time."

Misty's eyes are blank. She reaches to her cheek, touching just under her hair, and cringes. She pulls her hand away. "Brock, what are you talking about? Every time we've had to do this, it hurts."

Brock blinks. "Had to do this?"

Misty nods, unconcerned. "Yeah, it's kinda necessary sometimes. Brock how did you find us?"

"Nurse Joy called Professor Oak. Misty, do you not…enjoy it?"

Misty's eyes widen and her face, almost back to its normal color, flushes a new. "Brock, answer me very carefully here." She says, voice low in a way that makes Brock's hair stand on end. "What in the name of Palkia are you talking about?"

Brock coughs and looks towards the room again, before turning back to Misty. He shifts his feet. "Well…" he trails off, really not wanting to say aloud what he is fairly certain has happened. Misty can't honestly think she can hide this, does she? There's denial and then there's the evidence staring you in the face. "Didn't you two…" he trails off again not wanting to say the words and instead bangs his fists together and waggles his eyebrows.

Misty blinks at him before an awful look of realization crosses her eyes. She's silent for a few moments, mouth open and face growing red before she takes a deep breath and screams. In the room, Brock can hear Ash hit the floor and come running, Pikachu at his heels.

He tumbles through the door, nearly knocking Misty aside, and pulling on his shirt starts talking. His words are fast and panicked. Brock is only half certain he is catching them, "What's happening? Misty, are you ok? Hi Brock. Where's Team Rocket?" He stops then, "Wait, Brock?"

Brock nods, stifling a gasp at Ash's face. He looks like he's lost a fight. He's about to say something when Ash turns away from him, to look back at Misty.

"You're ok though, right? Mist?" She nods and Ash breathes out a sigh of relief. "So, Brock." Ash begins, Pikachu jumping on his shoulder. "What brings you to the badlands?"


	4. The Yoko Factor

A/N- So…Pokemon Y got really dark all of a sudden….also please tell me I'm not the only one convinced that Lysandre is Jack Spicer

The Yoko Factor

Ash's heart is still in his throat when he turns to Brock—Brock of all people—and asks him...something. He's not paying too much attention to what he's saying, after hearing Misty is all right, Ash is more focused on getting his breathing back under control. Eyes on Brock, he throws an arm over Misty's shoulder and really, sincerely, tries to focus on Brock's response to whatever it is that he himself has asked. Only…

Misty's shoulders feel wrong. There's something covering them. Ash has only a few times in the six years he's known her, seen Misty wear something over her shoulder. And usually it's for special occasions. Besides this cloth feels so familiar.

"Are you wearing my jacket?" The words are out of his mouth before he's even thought about them. And it's rude of him, Ash knows, he's cut Brock off mid sentence and his mother would have yelled at him had she been here. But she's not. And Misty is wearing his jacket. Not that Ash actually minds, they've borrowed each other's things plenty over the years but they've always asked one another first.

"Yes?" Misty replies, voice rising like it always does when she's not quite sure what Ash is getting at. "I was cold."

"You have your own jacket." Ash replies, confused.

"Yeah, but it was in my bag. Yours was on the floor and Brock was knocking. I had to answer the door." She gestures at Brock who has stepped back from the two of them with a disbelieving grin on his face.

"Guys, do you two really want to start a fight right now? I mean…I haven't seen you in three months…don't you want to hear about what's going on in Kanto?" Brock asks. Twin glares wipe the grin from his face and he settles back. Pikachu leaps from Ash's shoulder to join him and together they watch the fight.

"Point is, you're messier than muk and I needed a jacket." Misty continues, turning in Ash's arm to glare at him. She's leaning heavily against the wall and Ash for support, despite the angry expression.

Ash sighs. "You could have asked."

Misty scoffs, "you were asleep, what was I supposed to do? Wake you up?"

Ash turns to glare at her, shifting so that he's supporting her with the other arm. For a moment he's nearly hugging her until he shifts so that the arm that had been around her shoulder is braced against the door frame. Out of the corner of his eyes he sees Brock flush and wonders why until he looks back at Misty. And...yes...she's much closer than he's thought...he can practically count her eyelashes. Not that he wants to. Ash's full attention is on Misty's face, he barely notices Brock look down at Pikachu and shrug. Brock may as well not be there.

Misty breathes in slowly and Ash can feel her exhale though neither has said anything. This could be a bad fight, but somehow Pikachu hasn't sparked up. Pikachu always ends their fights before they get too bad, so maybe this isn't terrible.

Maybe Ash can still work his way out of this without screaming.

"Yes!" Ash replies through gritted teeth.

Misty's face grows dark.

Maybe this will be bad.

"Why?" She asks.

Ash shakes, there's nothing he can say to fix this. But he can't keep quiet. He takes a deep breath before finally exploding, "It's _my_ clothing."

"Fine then, I'll take it off."

In near unison Brock and Ash both shout "No." loudly enough that Ash is certain they'll wake up whoever else happens to be in the center. Ash looks at Brock confusedly, he knows why he doesn't want her to take it off—it's cold and he can feel Misty shivering beneath his hands—but has no idea why Brock shares his opinion.

"Arceus, Brock. I'm wearing clothes underneath." Misty spits.

Ash is still confused, he tilts one head to the side in a movement that mirrors Pikachu when he's confused. "Why wouldn't you be wearing clothes underneath?"

"Brock thinks we were sleeping together." Misty says, voice dripping in sarcasm. Brock swallows loudly.

"We were?" Ash questions. Brock coughs loudly.

Misty flushes, "In the literal sense. Yes. We were sharing a bed."

"Right. So we were sleeping together. Why would that mean you weren't wearing clothes underneath?"

Brock and Misty share a look before Brock laughs. "I'll tell you when you're older, man"

Ash blinks a few times before a look of realization crosses his face. "Arceus damn it, Brock, how many times do I have to tell you it's not like that between us?"

"Weren't you two in the middle of a fight?" Brock asks, hands up to ward off the coming attack. Misty turns to Ash immediately with a glare and Ash shakes his head, mouthing _traitor_ at the older boy.

"Yes. Yes, we were." Her attention is back on Ash and Brock breathes a sigh of relief. Pikachu has still not sparked up.

Ash slumps visibly, still supporting Misty with one arm. "Keep the jacket, Mist. It's cold. And you should have woken me up. It's not safe to answer the door alone."

"I'm a big girl, Ash. I can answer the door on my own." Her voice has gotten softer but is still firm.

"It could have been Team Rocket."

"Please, in a pokémon center? Besides, I looked through the peep hole. I would have woken you up if it was them."

Ash looks down and away from Misty. "They're really good at disguises though."

"Ok, but tell me this, Ketchum. Who was it that figured them out the last three times? Oh right, me."

"You want to play that game. Mist? Which one of us can balance on their own feet?" Ash asks, moving his arm from Misty. She teeters and Ash catches her immediately, face falling. "Sorry, Mist."

"It's ok, Ash." She takes a deep breath. "I'll wake you up next time, ok?" Ash nods and hugs Misty briefly, looking at Brock as he does. The other boys' mouth is open and he's turning, almost comically, between Pikachu and Ash and Misty.

Ash sighs. How have they surprised him now? The fight ended. They're both still standing. Pikachu hasn't shocked them. Why is Brock upset?

Misty rolls her eyes but leans in, wobbling on her ankle. Ash catches her and, sparing one more look towards a still surprised Brock, scoops her up and carries her through the still open door of their room. It's so sudden she doesn't make a noise beyond a surprised _eep_ until she lands on the bed with a thud.

Settling her on the bed, Ash picks up a sleepy Togepi and leaves the baby pokémon in Misty's lap. Togepi trills happily and Misty smiles down at her before nodding at Ash, mouth set in a grim line.

Ash leans over Misty and begins to gently push the hair from her face to check the stitches he'd put in the night before. Her hair falls back into place before he can see her cheek and he sighs, beginning a frustrating battle with her hair. He pushes it out of the way and it stubbornly falls back. He can't keep it off her face long enough to check his work. Groaning he looks up and is surprised not to see Brock.

"Hey, Brock?" Ash calls through the door, poking Misty in the shoulder. "You can come in, you know?"

Misty hands Ash a hair elastic and he stares at the object for a moment before finally sighing and taking it. He doesn't see why Misty can't just put her own hair up, she's just going to re-do it after he finishes. Gently, Ash makes his way around Misty on the bed until he's kneeling beside her and watching the door as Brock steps in and stops. Suddenly. Brock's eyes widen as much as Ash has ever seen them, and he goes pale.

Ash is scraping Misty's hair together when Brock takes a deep breath and opens and closes his mouth several times before just staring, eyes roving the room.

It's weird, what Brock is doing, and Ash glances looks through the small room trying to figure what it is that has stopped Brock.

The room is no messier then their rooms have ever been in their travels and in the time the three of them have traveled together, Brock has certainly seen some messes. But this is...not that bad. Sure, Ash's clothes are thrown about the room but Misty's are in a neat pile by the bathroom door. Ash hadn't seen the need to make them neat. The clothes were so muddy and torn and bloody that there was no way they could be saved. He'd been too tired last night to clean them.

But Brock has seen that before.

Their map is out, spread on the rooms one small table with Misty's bag on top of it to keep it in place but that's not unusual either. Nor is the fact that Ash's own bag is open on the floor below the table.

Maybe it's the beds? Only one of them is slept in.

But Brock had known that already.

He shouldn't have commented on it. It's not that strange. Ash and Misty have shared beds and tents and rooms since they were kids. Mew, Ash's own mother had let them sleep in the same room the last time they'd been in Pallet. And Brock has never had a problem with it. The few times the three of them had scraped up for a room in a pokémon center in Kanto (and been allowed to rent _one_ ), Ash and Misty had shared one of the beds while Brock slept in the other. Even camping, Ash and Misty tended to share a tent. And it was only a size thing, at sixteen and twenty, it wasn't exactly easy for Ash and Brock to fit in those spaces together.

So Brock shouldn't have commented. But looking around, Misty humming quietly to a cooing Togepi, Ash thinks that it's not the sleeping situation that has Brock gulping air and going pale. It's only as Ash finishes putting Misty's hair up that he follows Brocks gaze and finds it centered on the trashcan in the rooms corner. The trash can with the curved needle they'd used the night before.

Ash looks back at Brock, sliding around Misty so that he's sitting beside her on the bed. Brocks still staring and Ash knows he should say something but Misty is waiting, eyes shut, for Ash to finish. Sparing one more look towards Brock who is now gulping quietly, Ash turns to check the wound. The skin is red around the only somewhat crooked row of stitches but it's not hot to the touch. Misty's humming doesn't even stop as he prods it. He's gotten good at that.

Satisfied, Ash sits beside Misty, the whole length of his body pressed against hers on the narrow bed, and turns back to a Brock who's gone completely pale.

Now what.

Brock's eyes are trained on the row of stitches on Misty's cheek.

Oh.

Against his arm, Ash can feel Misty's whole body shake with the need to say something, but her mouth stays closed and she turns her head down, focusing on Togepi. Not even Pikachu makes a noise as Brock slowly sits himself on the floor. Only Togepi seems happy, babbling contentedly as she toddles over their laps.

"How?" Brock finally says, voice hoarse with some emotion Ash is sure Misty would be able to pinpoint.

"Victreebel's Razor Leaf." Misty replies, shrugging. Her shoulders move Ash's as well.

Brock's mouth drops open. "I'm surprised at you Misty, standing close enough to a battle to get hit? And Ash, you let her?"

Ash laughs, "I don't _let_ Misty do anything."

"Besides, I was pushing him out of the way. The slowpoke didn't even see the attack," Misty continues, smirking at Ash.

"Think that might have had something to do with the vine whip I took to the eye?" Ash grumbles, pointing at his still swollen eye. He hasn't looked at it since waking up but he can barely see through it. Misty winces.

Brock blinks slowly and takes a deep breath. "You two are supposed to be looking out for each other. Misty, how did you let _him_ stand close enough to a battle to need to be pushed out of the way?"

Misty and Ash glance at each other, unsure how to respond. They fall silent for a beat until finally Misty looks away and answers, staring at the wall. "He was in the battle."

"Where were your pokémon?"

"Pikachu was protecting Togepi from Arbok." Ash answers immediately. He's grabbed his hat from the floor and is worrying the brim with his hands. Without looking Misty places her hand atop his, stopping the motion.

"Staryu was fighting Wobbuffet." Misty adds.

"Wait...Victreebel? Wobbuffet? Arbok? Team Rocket did this?"

Ash and Misty nod and Brock looks as though he's going to laugh until suddenly his face sobers. "So who was fighting Victreebel?"

Ash turns to look at Misty but she won't met his eyes. She's staring straight ahead, back and shoulders ramrod straight. She's ready for a fight and Ash isn't sure who is going to be hit. He gulps and points at himself.

"What do you mean you were fighting Victreebel? What about your other pokémon? "Brock has gone near sheet white. Ash doesn't want to reply. There's not a good answer or even one that he himself would have believed three months ago. Misty's shoulders start shaking against his with the effort of staying upright. Ash leans against her and the shaking stops, neither speaks. Several moments pass with only Togepi cooing.

"What other pokémon?" Misty asks finally, voice frozen and tight.

"Team Rocket called attacks on you?" Ash and Misty nod together. Brock takes several deep breaths and stands up, running to the small bathroom. It's quiet enough, neither of the teens talking, that they hear Brock wretch several times. The faucet runs and Brock steps out, rubbing his mouth with his sleeve.

"We need to get out of here." Brock says, voice rough.

Misty stands and stretches, places Togepi in Ash's lap. "What's the plan?" She asks, moving her bag from the map.

Brock walks over to join her, staring down at the table with a confused look on his face. "Is this the map you've been using?" Misty nods and Brock pulls a paper from his vest pocket, unfolding it to compare. Ash sighs, it's another map. He's never been good at reading those and now there are two?

Pikachu jumps on the bed beside him and absentmindedly, Ash scratches his head. He's tired and though he can hear them talking, Ash can't quite make out what Misty and Brock are saying. It's static against the hum of too many other noises and a heart that's finally slowed. HIs eyes droop.

There's a loud slam and Ash looks up. At the ceiling? Hadn't he been sitting? There's another slam and beside him, Pikachu stirs, offering a warning _Pikaa_. And that's never a good sign, someone always get shocked when Pikachu sounds like that. Ash sits up, cracking his back as he does, and scrubs a hand across his face. And whimpers in pain. That was stupid, Ash had forgotten about his eye. Pikachu jumps on his shoulder, worryingly pawing at him. "I'm ok." Ash says, scratching his head apologetically. "How long was I asleep?" Pikachu shrugs. The room is brighter now, light is screeching through the windows bright and harsh. Misty and Brock are standing feet apart, her face is red and his arms are crossed. She takes a deep breath and slams her hand into the table loudly enough that it creaks under her frame. Brock shakes his head back at her and gestures at his map, shaking it under her nose. She yells and Brock yells, but Ash can't pick apart the words. His face hurts and he's sore.

Everywhere.

And hungry.

His stomach growls loudly enough that it wakes Togepi beside him. Brock and Misty stop mid fight and turn to him.

"Are you hungry?" Misty asks. Ash nods sadly and Misty tosses the energy bar that's in her hand. It's their last one, Ash knows, and Misty has eaten some of it. But it's perfect. Ash starts eating the second it's in his hand. These things have been a Mew send, honestly. Neither of them, Ash or Misty, have ever been good cooks and without Brock or Tracey, food was going to be bad. But in the badlands? It was terrible. They were lucky when they could find canned items much less the fresh food Brock and Tracey both had always had.

"What are you fighting about?" Ash asks around a mouthful of energy bar.

"Don't talk with your mouth full." Misty says at the same time as Brock answers, "We're not fighting, we're discussing."

"OK." Ash replies, standing up to join them at the table. He hands Misty Togepi when he reaches them. "What are you discussing?"

"How to get to the coast, "Brock responds, glaring at Misty. "And I still say the best way is to go back on this trail." He pokes the map emphatically but Misty just shakes her head.

"And I already told you, you can't back track here. The paths….don't exist."

"That's ridiculous, Misty. I think you both have been here too long."

"She's telling the truth." Ash interjects, "The paths vanish."

"Fine, the paths vanish. Let's go this way then." He traces a path forward that ends on the coast.

"Oh, _him_ you believe?" Misty growls. Ash pats her head and Misty sighs. "There are no pokémon centers on that path, anyway. What are we going to do at night?"

Brock scoffs, "Camp?"

"Camp?" Misty explodes, Togepi cries in her arms. She hands her to Ash and faces Brock with her hands on her hips. "We can't camp. Not here."

Brock sighs and throws his hands up in the air. "So you've said. If we can't camp we have to follow that path." He points again at the path which backtracks. "It's the only one with pokémon centers."

Misty throws her hands into the air and lets loose a sound that, from a pokémon would mean real trouble. Even having seen Misty make the sound, Ash's hair stands on end and all his mind is telling him he has to find cover. Togepi vanishes into her shell.

This fight has to stop.

"Why don't we just leave the same way Brock got here?" Ash asks, handing Misty the last of the energy bar. She jams it in her mouth and glares at Brock, daring him to answer.

"You can't fly out of Strayanthe, Professor Oak thinks there some pokémon here that interferes with fly. "

"Why are we trying to get to the coast then? Why not just walk until we can surf to Hoenn?" Ash asks.

Misty savagely takes another bite of the energy bar. "Ash, we're like….3 months from that."

"So?"

"The Hoenn league starts in 2...if you still want to do that."

"Oh." Ash says. Right. The League. It seems like it's been forever since he even thought about that. About pokémon battles that ended in titles and badges instead of stitches and sprains. "Why the coast?"

"Lance said he would send a boat if we could get to the coast, any coast." Brock says. "And we can get to this one," he points again at the map. "In under a month."

"No we can't rocks for brains," Misty spits. "There are no centers on that path."

"Then we'll take the other one." Brock sighs.

Ash ignores them as their fight restarts for the third or fourth time Ash has heard them, he's still thinking about something else Brock had said. "Lance? As in, the Champion Lance?" Brock looks up from screaming at Misty to nod and Ash feels….nothing. Which is strange. He should be excited. Arceus, Lance. He's….The Champion, a pokémon master like Ash has always wanted to be. Four months ago, Ash would have traded his mother for a chance to meet him. Yet, now...nothing. But...maybe...if they leave...

"Ok." Ash says firmly. Brock and Misty look at him confusedly. "Let's camp." He raises his hand to stop the inevitable protest from Misty. "It can't be as bad with the three of us."


	5. The Harsh Light of Day

A/N: So…I may be having a minor…grammatical issue…So, I made the choice not to capitalize pokémon names unless they were proper names by following the logic that we don't capitalize cat unless the animal in questions name happens to be Cat. I was fine with this decision until I found out that within the pokémon writing community this is somewhat controversial. But I was going to stick with my life choice and was complaining about it to Aetheron who asked if we capitalize breed names…like Basset Hound…which, turns out, we do…so…should pokémon types be capitalized?

The Harsh Light of Day

It's not as bad with the three of them.

It's worse.

Misty is honestly not sure how Ash had even convinced them that camping was the best option. Well, that's not strictly true. When arguing with Ash there always comes a point where you've said 'no' so many times that you run out; a point when you've brought up the fact that he's going to get himself killed so many times that it loses all meaning; a point where there's left to do but agree and resign yourself to pulling him out of the water when he drowns. It was how Misty had met him. It had happened on Shamouti. It had happened...in...her dreams?

Regardless, Ash shouldn't be allowed alone near large bodies of water. That was a given.

It had taken a full hour of arguing between the three of them before they reached any sort of agreement. By the time they had finished Misty's head had hurt and her eyes had throbbed and she probably would have agreed to near anything just to stop the yelling. Which itself is odd-a few months ago and a little yelling between friends wouldn't have given her any pause. But now? Now it's been over an hour and Misty just wants to do _something_. Even Pikachu looks like he's going to shock someone if only to end this.

It takes them another hour past the end of the fight to gather supplies.

They need food, mostly, they've run out of the energy bars that seem to be all anyone can get in the area. Brock refuses to believe that they're all that's around and swears that he doesn't understand how Ash and Misty have survived without him. Misty can't help but smirk as he walks up to Nurse Joy asking about fresh food and promptly turns around with a scowl on his face. Though, more surprising may be the fact that he actually asks Nurse Joy about the food. Misty has never, to her memory, seen him able to talk to any of the nurses without minutes of drooling preceding the conversation. So it's weird, watching him have an actual conversation. Weird enough that she misses him coming back to her and Ash and asking what they want to do, because he does not want to eat those energy bars. It's only as Ash is talking that she zones back into the conversation.

"Well...we need food. We should probably get the energy bars Brock." Ash says, Pikachu nodding along on his shoulder. Misty sighs. The energy bars aren't _terrible._ At least, they're not if you squint...or don't think about them. But she is disappointed. She'd hoped that with Brock around they might actually get to eat something other than prepackaged bars.

Brock shakes his head, "We can't live on those. See this is why we need to take the shorter path. We'll get to the coast faster and back to real food."

"Don't start this again." Misty chimes in before she's even thought about what she's going to say. "We have an agreement. Let's just stick to it? Ok?" Pikachu backs her up with a forceful _chuuu_ and Misty pats his head in appreciation. And they do, have an agreement anyway. Or at least a compromise. They'll try the path back and then, when that fails, walk towards the coast camping when needed. It's not something Misty wants to do, go camping, but she's tired and they're running out of daylight. Besides, after the hour plus spent trying and failing to convince Brock that they the safest way through the badlands was the straight-well, not really straight, it was more a jagged sprint between pokémon centers-line they were carving, Misty is done. They just need to move on.

"We're going to try that path anyway." Ash cuts in.

Brock nods. "Still, we can't live on these energy bars."

Misty sighs and moves Togepi to her hip, subconsciously shifting into a fighting stance. It's almost natural now, standing with shoulders squared and feet apart so she can throw a punch or run as needed. Ash places a hand on her shoulder and shakes his head. Misty takes a deep breath and turns to Brock with a tight smile on her face. "OK, we can't live on the energy bars. What do we do then?"

"I don't know, Misty. I got here last night? Is there something that grows here?" Brock asks tiredly.

"Oh, the berries." Ash jumps, jostling Pikachu so that he runs to Misty's shoulder. "Remember, Mist? That old man? His hands were all purple. He must have been picking berries."

"Arceus, Ash. You're brilliant. We'll just pick berries." Misty smiles. Brock looks between the two of them and shakes his head.

"Did you just call Ash brilliant?"

Misty nods. "Yeah...I was surprised to hear myself say it, but credit where it's due."

"Hey" Ash says. Misty smiles at him and takes his hat to ruffle his hair.

"Give that back!" Ash reaches for the hat, but Misty holds it up just out of his reach-at least until he steps towards her and pulls it from her hands. They both laugh and Brock can't help but to shake his head at the two of them, sixteen and still acting like ten year olds.

"Ok." Brock says, hitting his hand with his fist. "We'll pick berries on the way and get some energy bars."

"I wouldn't pick the berries that grow around here." Nurse Joy cuts in. Ash, Misty and Brock jump at her voice. They've been taking in a corner in the pokémon center lobby and hadn't heard her come up behind them. Nurse Joy smiles at their shock and, seeing Misty's hands full of Togepi and Ash's hat, hands Ash a package of energy bars and two pokeballs. "Here are your pokémon and some extra food. Staryu and Lapras both made full recoveries."

"Why shouldn't we eat the berries?" Ash asks while putting Staryu's pokeball back into Misty's bag. Misty sticks his hat on her head while he's distracted and ducks out of the way when he moves to grab it back.

Nurse Joy laughs at their antics. "I'm glad to see you two are feeling better after last night. And that your friend found you."

"What about the berries?" Brock chimes in, watching Ash and Misty chase each other jokingly around the lobby. Misty's hobbling just out of Ash's reach as he walks after her, Pikachu dogging his steps.

"Oh. They're highly poisonous, except to certain types of pokémon." Nurse Joy replies. Ash and Misty stop in their tracks.

"What types?" Misty asks, quietly.

"Psychic types." Nurse Joy says, mouth twisting as though the word is distasteful. She shudders and that more than anything else is shocking. Misty has never, in all her years of traveling, seen a Nurse Joy dislike any type of pokémon. Sure, just like most trainers some Nurse Joys prefered some types over others, some even specialized in specific types. But Misty had never, ever, seen any Nurse Joy revulsed at the idea of a pokémon type. It's...horrifying. Misty glances at Ash and sees that he's noticed the Joy's attitude as well. He's staring, mouth open, at the nurse as though he can't quite believe what he's seing. Brock shakes his head sadly.

Misty sighs and reaches over to push Ash's mouth shut with her index finger. "You'll catch venomoth with your mouth open like that." She says in an undertone causing him to smirk. "Ok," she continues aloud, "we can't eat the berries. I guess...we'll...need more energy bars and try and find some fresh food at the next town?" Nurse nods and scurries off, returning moments later with another pack of energy bars which Brock takes, grimacing, and together they head out the doors into the cold noon sun.

Four hours later, Misty is exhausted. She's kept pace with the boys, limping along on an ankle that screams pain with every step, gritting her teeth into a smile any time either has glanced at her. It's been a merciful few looks, both seem so caught up in whatever is going on in their heads. But it hurts, and she's tired and she...doesn't see the rock on the path. She falls forward and Togepi trills in alarm. Misty clutches the baby pokémon in her arms and shifts her balance, hoping to hit her shoulder. She clenches her eyes and tenses her arms in wait of hitting the ground.

She doesn't.

Minutes pass.

Tentatively she opens her eyes to find Ash has caught her.

Like he always does.

Brock has run on ahead down the path and is pointing at something Misty can't see. Ash seems to know what it is though and nods at him before looking back at Misty.

"You ok?" He asks. Misty nods. "Can you walk?"

"Of course I can walk, Ketchum. What do you take me for? A weakling?" She pushes Ash away and stands to her feet only to stumble again.

Ash sighs, takes off his bag and crouches down. "Brock found some rocks up ahead and the trail he thinks will get us to the coast." Ash rolls his eyes as he says it and Misty suppresses a grin. "Hop on, I'll give you a lift." Misty opens her mouth to protest but Ash gives her a harsh look. "Would you let me walk on an ankle like that?"

Misty shakes her head, picks up Ash's pack and shifts Togepi to her bag. "If you're sure." She says. Ash nods and she climbs on. He doesn't comment on the added weight or huff or do anything other than start walking along to meet Brock. Misty can't help but laugh. "You know, this is why people always say stuff about us."

"What stuff?" Ash asks as they reach Brock.

"Misty, did you actually trip or had it just been too long since you'd had alone time with Ash?" Brock asks, waggling his eyebrows.

"That stuff." Misty says as Ash places her down on the rocks that Brock had found. Ash ignores both her and Brock and kneels to check on her ankle.

"The wrapping came loose," Ash says. He unwraps the ankle and tightens the bandage while Brock lays out his map beside the two of them. With the bandage tighter, her ankle feels much better and Misty smiles at Ash in thanks.

"So this here," Brock says, gesturing first at a trail on the map and then at a flattened patch of weeds in the forest they're walking through. "This is the fastest trail to the coast. You know? The one you said wouldn't exist because it back tracks?" Ash and Misty share a look and Pikachu sighs, audibly. Brock smiles back at them, convinced he's solved all of their problems. "Look, there's a center on this path that we can reach tonight. We don't even need to camp. And I am sure the Joy there can help Misty."

"You know there's not always a Nurse Joy at these pokémon centers." Ash says after a pause. Pikachu offers an agreeable _pikaa_ to confirm what his master has said.

Brock shakes his hand as though shooing away a zubat. "There's always a Nurse Joy." He answers.

Ash shakes his head. "Not here. Brock, the pokémon centers here are...they're not always…" Ash trails off and looks to Misty.

"OK, Brock," Misty says. "Why don't you scout ahead on the path while I catch my breath?"

"Why do you need to catch your breath?" Ash asks, looking to Misty. "I'm the one who carried you here."

Pikachu slaps his own face with an aggravated _kaaa_ and Misty shakes her head. Really, the pokémon can figure it out, why can't Ash.

"Fine." Misty says, smacking her face, "Brock, why don't you scout ahead while _Ash_ catches his breath."

Ash opens his mouth to protest again but Pikachu gives him a small shock and he falls silent.

"Thanks Pikachu." Misty mumbles under her breath.

Brock laughs uncomfortably and scratches the back of his head. "Alright, I'll just...walk ahead then." He starts walking but turns around just before setting off on the path. "Though, Misty, if you two wanted alone time, all you had to do was ask."

Misty throws a small pebble at him and he laughs and disappears into the path. For a few minutes she and Ash are quiet and the only sounds are Togepi trilling and what they hope is Brock in the woods beyond them. Misty reaches for her bag to pull a few pokémon treats for Togepi but can't quite reach it. Ash hands it to her without her asking.

"I need to catch my breath?" Ash asks, breaking the silence.

"Hush." Misty huffs and her breath comes out in a white puff. The light is growing weaker and Misty shivers as she offers some treats to Pikachu. The electric rodent takes them happily and gives Ash a glare as he chomps them down.

"What did I do?" Ash swats at Pikachu who sparks up again threateningly. "Oh come on, Pikachu." Pikachu turns his back on Ash and _chuu's_ warningly. Ash throws his hands up in defeat, "I didn't do anything."

The forests rustle again and the three of them, Ash, Misty and Pikachu, turn to stare at the woods in silence.

The rustling stops and Togepi coos, demanding more food from Misty. She sighs and offers the baby a few more treats. "Pikachu, Ash doesn't know what he did. He'd be sorry though if he understood."

"I would be." Ash agrees solemnly. Pikachu gives a soft _chu_ and licks Ash's hand. "Hey. I could understand what I did."

Misty is saved from replying by Brock bursting through the leaves not ten feet ahead of them. "Hah, I knew this would connect with the path." Brock shouts, looking ahead. He raises his arms triumphantly. "Serves them right too, acting like the paths vanish." He places hands on his hips and raises his voice comically, "Oh I'm Misty and you have to listen to me, I'm always right." He lowers his voice and raises his hand to his forehead as though messing with a hat. "And I'm Ash and I always side with Misty against other people but we are definitely not going out."

Misty coughs loudly and Brock turns around, face pale.

"How much of that did you hear?" He asks, quietly.

"Well...I'm Misty and always right and heard...oh all of it." She says.

"And I'm Ash and always side with Misty against other people." Ash adds, trying not to laugh.

"I don't understand." Brock says, flushing, "I followed the path. It wasn't supposed to connect here."

"Imagine that. The path vanished." Misty intones.

Brock consults the map and points determinedly at a specific turn, "I think I missed this, I'm going to try again." And he walks determinedly into the forest.

Misty shivers and Ash hands over his jacket.

The woods rustle.

Pikachu climbs under the jacket against Misty's skin.

The woods rustle.

Ash sits on the rock beside Misty.

Brock bursts through the woods not ten feet away. "I knew it was that turn." He says, hands raised in victory as he turns around.

"It was not that turn." Ash says, somehow situating himself under the jacket so that the two of them are sharing.

Brock looks down at the map again. "Maybe a left?" he asks, vanishing back into the forest. Ash and Misty share a look and together slowly count to ten. Brock bursts through the forest ahead of them just before they reach eight.

"Oh, you were so close." Misty says. "Pay up, Ketchum."

"Come on, Brock." Ash whines, "Two more seconds and she'd have owed me." He extricates himself from the jacket long enough to grab an energy bar from his bag and split it in two. He hands half to Misty and keeps half for himself.

Brock looks at the two of them, head hung in defeat, and mumbles, "I suppose we should set up camp. It's getting cold."

Ash and Misty both nod. It's gotten cooler and the light is getting watery and pale. It'll be dark soon, blackness falling like the pitch waves of night daze. And with that dark, the air will freeze.

"Well, Brock." Misty chatters as Ash slips back under the shared jacket, "since you've gotten so well acquainted with the forest, why don't you gather some wood for a fire. We'll work on a tent."

"Two tents," Brock says, nodding. "Delia will murder me if I let you sleep in one tent." And he disappears back into the woods.

Ash turns to Misty and shrugs. "I don't really think my mom would care." He says, standing up from the rock to retrieve his bag. He sticks his head down, digging for the tent that they have.

Behind him, in the woods, the leaves rustle.

A twig snaps.

Misty sighs and slips Togepi in her bag so that the baby pokémon is snug and warm in the dropping temperature. Leaves crunch ahead of them and Misty shakes her head. Brock must be lost again.

"Did you forget something, Brock?" Ash asks with his head in his bag.

"Well, what do we have here?" A smooth, low voice responds. It's not Brock. Misty hurriedly settles Togepi in her bag and pulls out Staryu's pokeball.

"Oh James, it looks like we've found the twerps." A feminine voice replies.

"And still standing too."

Ash stands up from his bag to face them, pushing his hat back as he does. Pikachu jumps to his shoulder.

"Rather shocking after our last meeting, wouldn't you say?" And then that feminine voice cackles cruelly.

"We're the ones who left you tied up." Misty spits, balancing herself on the rock so that she can push off as soon as she needs too.

"How's your leg?" James snarls back.

"Better than your face is going to be." Misty grits out, depressing the button to enlarge Staryu's pokeball. The five of them stare at each other until Meowth comes out from behind the trees.

"Now ain't this cute?" The cat pokémon growls, slinking in front of Jessie and James. "A regular reunion. And you without a welcome back present. Tell you what. You two just hand over Pikachu and we make sure anything we do to you can be healed at a pokémon center."

Misty yawns, "You know, as touching as that offer is. I have a counter offer. You leave and we let you. Sound good, Ash?"

Ash nods and Pikachu sparks menacingly on his shoulder.

"Good." Misty says, pushing herself off the rock, "Then we're all in agreement...so if you all would just leave?"

"Victreebel, go." James calls out, releasing his pokémon. "Razorleaf." A red arc of light materializes into a large plant which whips honed leaves towards Ash and Misty.

Both teens throws their arms in front of their faces, neither flinching as the leaves grate their skin.

"Staryu!" Misty shouts, releasing her pokémon. The star shaped creature offers a loud _hyaa_ before aiming a powerful blast of water at Jessie and James. One which is blocked by Wobbuffet.

"That was cute, kid." Meowth smirks, unleashing his claws. "But I'm done with this now." He leaps to Misty, claws outstretched. Misty breathes out and launches herself over him, somersaulting to land unsteadily on her feet and hands.

"Rapid spin." She breathes the moment she hits the ground. Straryu spins over her head and hits Jessie, sending her flying into the trees. She doesn't stand back up. Wobbuffet disappears into an arc of red.

"Weezing." James murmurs and another arc of red appears.

Pikachu screams and rushes over to the new pokémon and electricity sparks over the smog that Weezing unleashes.

Ash rushes over to Misty, but she doesn't dare look away from Meowth who shakes his head and stands again, claws glinting.

"Vine Whip." James whispers, hoarsely, behind Misty.

"Mew," Misty breathes. "Ash, duck." Ash doesn't hear her in time and the vines wrap around his middle. He goes purple as they haul him towards the plant creatures' mouth. "Staryu!" Misty commands. The star pokémon spins into Meowth, slamming him into the rocks Misty had been sitting on only moments before. Meowth struggles to sit up but Misty nods and Staryu drops out of the air onto the cat. "Stay down," Misty hisses.

"Not a chance, doll." Meowth replies. Misty sighs and throws a rock at him, smiling when she hears it clank satisfyingly against the medallion on Meowth's head. Convinced that the cat is down, Misty turns to find Pikachu and Ash.

There's a rustling to Misty's left and a gasp, but she can't focus on that, not right now. Jessie is down and Wobbuffet recalled, and Meowth is down but James is in front of her and Victreebel is up and Ash is choking for breath.

Her vision swims.

Right. Razorleaf. Those must have cut deep.

This has to end.

"Pikachu!" She shouts. The electric rodent finishes Weezing with one final jolt and runs over to Misty under the red arc recalling the fainted pokémon. "Thunderbolt." She says, deadly calm with arm stretched towards James. Pikachu nods and unleashes a large bolt of thunder, hitting James squarely in the chest. The blue haired trainer goes down near instantly and Victreebel is recalled in an arc of red.

Misty rushes to Ash and help him sit up as he chokes for air.

"Ash." She says, hoarsely. Her throat is raw and her ankle is throbbing and her vision is fuzzy around the edges. Ash reaches a hand towards her, smiling.

"You popped your stitches." He says once he's caught his breath.

Misty smiles sadly. "I'm ok." She says.

'You always are. What are we going to do with them?" Ash asks, nodding his chin towards the passed out members of Team Rocket.

Misty opens her mouth to reply but freezes at the sound of retching somewhere to her left. Slowly she looks up and locks eyes with Brock. His eyes are wide and his skin is pale and for the millionth time in the day he's looking at them like he doesn't quite believe who they are.

"What?" Brock starts.

Misty hushes him. "Later. First, we tie these three up. Then we get as far away from here as we can. Then we set up camp."

"But..."Brock starts again, only to be cut off by Ash.

"Later. Right now...we follow Misty's plan." And he walks to his bag and pulls a rope. Together he and Misty tie Team Rocket to a tree while Brock looks on, shuddering in the quickly falling night.


	6. Who Are You

A/N: This chapter...I just…Things…whatever…A combination of The Division beta and working like 50 hours of the last 72 made this chapter….rough….

Who Are You

Misty bites her lip staring at Brock over the dying fire. It's crackling-the wood is far too wet-but it's loud. Which is good. The woods scream at night. And Brock...Brock hasn't said anything since they'd tied up Team Rocket. He'd been silent during their run away from the trio. Quiet when she and Ash realized they were lost. He hadn't said anything while they'd set up camp beyond a repeated decree that not only were two tents necessary, but that Ash and Misty could not share. Then he'd fallen silent.

Again.

He hadn't even spoken while Ash and Misty bandaged each other up-he had looked away when Ash had redone Misty's stitches but said nothing. It was weird. Brock could be quiet at times but he was rarely...silent.

Ash had walked off to find more firewood, taking with him both Pikachu and Staryu. He couldn't handle Brock's silence and honestly, Misty hadn't felt terribly talkative either. But with Ash gone and only the fire and the screams that made up the night, Misty thinks she might explode. The camp is entirely too empty. It's just her and Brock and two tents and a fire and Onix sleeping around them-though having the rock snake for a boundary is certainly comforting. There's no noise beyond the night and Misty...Misty needs something said or done or….She opens her mouth to talk but shuts it when Brock looks up at her harshly.

He says nothing, but his eyes dart away the moment hers meet them.

Misty breathes out and opens her mouth again to say something, anything, when Brock starts talking.

"You commanded Pikachu." He starts and Misty blinks. Has that been bothering him? Sure it was unusual for trainers to command friends or even family members pokémon but Ash's pokémon had always listened to her. And her pokémon had always listened to Ash. Well...except Psyduck. Psyduck didn't really listen to anybody. For a moment, Misty pities her sisters left to deal with the...unique...challenges that Psyduck brings. It's a moment that passes when she remembers that they're not dealing with those challenges. Professor Oak is. Tracey too now that she thinks about it. They're taking care of her pokémon just as they do for Ash.

"You ok, Misty?" Brock asks, breaking her from her reverie. His voice is off-concerned, yes but also distant. It's not like Brock but...

Misty nods, slowly wiping a tear. "Just remembering the Gym." She replies.

Brock nods. "You know...you commanding Pikachu isn't like sharing pokémon at the gym with your sisters." He says, scrubbing a hand over his face. He looks tired and sad, though Misty isn't sure why.

"How? Pikachu was trained by both of us and has spent his entire trained life with the two of us. I mean...we started our journeys on the same day and finished that day together. We pretty much share him. We pretty much share all of our pokémon. Besides, it's Ash. He's practically a pokémon whisperer." Misty smiles across the fire, hoping to catch Brock's eyes. They've joked about this before; the way Ash seems to have an uncanny ability to get pokémon to listen to him. Well, except Charizard…but even Ash must have his limits. "Is that what's bothering you?"

"No. The two of you have always done that, I guess. Actually, I've never thought about that before." He looks away, his voice still tight and serious. This is not the way she'd expected him to respond. Usually he'd bring up Charizard and then they'd be laughing over the crazy things Ash had done to try and win the fiery dragon over.

"What is bothering you then?" She catches his eyes again but Brock looks away, refusing to meet her eyes. She breathes out, a long puff of white fog that dissipates into the chilly air, before walking around the fire to kneel in front of Brock and meet his eyes. She cocks her head for a moment, listening for the soft rustling of Ash searching for firewood and the jostling of Pikachu and Staryu, and smiles.

"When did that happen?" Brock asks, voice edged with some tone Misty can't place. She tilts her head, confused, and Brock continues. "You're smiling just because..." He's cut off by Ash re-entering the camp. "Nevermind." He says.

Ash's eyes dart around the campsite, slight alarm showing in the bright fire when Misty is not where she had been when he'd left. He glances in the tents and finally at Brock, breathing out audibly when he spots her. Misty and Brock watch as Ash places another stick on the fire and retrieves Staryu's pokeball, recalling the star shaped creature with a soft "thank you."

"I still think it's strange." Brock says as Ash walks up to the two of them, ever present energy bars in his hands.

"What's strange?" Ash asks, handing one bar to each of his companions.

Misty takes a bite and, through her mouthful, comments, "The way we use each other's' pokémon."

"Is that why you didn't talk at all while we were setting up camp?" Ash asks, taking a bite of his own meal.

Brock glances at his own energy bar with something akin to disgust before opening and taking a wincing bite. "No." He says, once he's swallowed. "You two have always done that. It's weird but…"

"So why haven't you said anything?" Ash asks around a mouth of food.

Brock turns back towards Misty, any humor fallen from his face. "You commanded Pikachu…"

"And?" Misty asks, cutting him off. She's smiling though, knowing she's cut him off again as a joke.

He doesn't smile back. "Arceus, let me get two words in." His face grows flushed.

Misty's smile falls. This is serious, not some half-baked concern over who the pokémon listen too. Misty resettles herself beside Ash, facing Brock so that he has her full attention.

"You commanded Pikachu against Team Rocket. Misty, you attacked James and not Victreebel. What were you thinking?"

Misty blinks for a moment, unable to form an answer. She feels more than sees Ash open his mouth and puts a hand up to stop his reply. Right now, this isn't his fight. "I was thinking, Brock," she spits, standing up to face him with her hands on her hips. The white gauze of her bandaged arms is stark against the night. Ash shivers. Pikachu's ears twitch at the tone and he rushes from Ash, towards Misty's tent-no doubt to curl up with Togepi. Even Onix, around the tent, lows uncomfortably at her pitch. In the woods, beyond their camp, a wild scream tears from the throat of some pokémon. As soon as it stops, Misty starts. "I was _thinking_ that Victreebel had my best friend in its vines and that if I took James out, Victreebel would be recalled without risking Ash. I was _thinking_ that Meowth and Jessie were down and if I could just take out James then we'd have won. I was _thinking_ that if I didn't attack first, then James would." She hits each word violently, tone growing quieter with each repeated phrase.

"Misty, come on though. There's always a way out of these things. Besides, the League would kick you out if they saw what I saw. " Brock replies quietly.

Misty scoffs. "What League, Brock?" Brock begins to reply but Misty raises a hand, cutting him off. Very carefully, and enunciating each word as though demanding that he understand, she states, "There. Is. No. League. Here." Her eyes never leave his.

Brock looks away. And Misty's face falls. He doesn't understand. He can't understand. But he has too. Thinking that way had gotten herself and Ash hurt so many times. You didn't win out here, you got away to fight again. But...well...Misty wouldn't have believed it either if you'd told her that a month ago.

"And you didn't see everything either." Ash puts in quietly, standing up to put a hand on Misty's shoulder. She shakes him off, but he repeats the gesture until her hands unclench and her expression softens. Together they sit back down. "Team Rocket attacked first. And they did attack us." He holds up his own bandaged arms, white gauze as stark against his skin as Misty's. Misty nods.

Brock shakes his head. "You were standing too close to the fight, it's not hard to get hit by Razorleaf."

"Especially not when it's aimed at you." Misty replies, incredulously. "Brock you know us, do you really think that we'd attack Team Rocket without a reason?"

"No." Brock replies, standing up. "I just don't think there is reason enough to attack a person. And it's Team Rocket, Misty. Team Rocket. You know of 'blasting off again' fame..." He throws his wrapper in the fire, watching it spark as another scream rips from the woods. "I can't watch you do that to anybody, even Team Rocket. Especially Team Rocket. They're harmless." He shakes his head, looking for all the world like Delia when she's reminding Ash of something he's forgotten.

Misty scoffs. He can be as disappointed in her as he wants but it changes nothing. Yes, it was Team Rocket. It's always Team Rocket. But if she and Ash don't attack first then...well...Misty feels like crying, or screaming, or punching. Something. Or someone. Brock just doesn't understand. But, how could he? He hasn't been here with them...with Jessie and James...he hasn't seen….well...he can see… Misty sighs and begins to roll up her shirt.

"Misty, what are you doing?" Brock asks, alarmed, he's put his hands up over his face.

"Mist?" Ash asks.

Misty rolls her shirt up to her ribs so that the jagged pink line that runs from her navel to her heart is visible. "Yeah, it's just Team Rocket. That's what we thought. We thought that right up to the point that Meowth casually strolled right past Pikachu and stuck his claws through my chest. They're not pulling any punches, Brock. Neither can we." Misty stares at Brock, still holding her shirt up, as though daring him to look away.

He does.

"I'm going to bed." Brock replies, turning away. His voice is hoarse and tired. He takes a few steps and then stops, shoulder sagging. "Ash, you know you're sleeping in my tent, right?"

"Yeah." Ash replies, standing up. "Night, Misty." And together he and Brock walk towards one of the tents.

Misty sighs and releases Staryu. "I'm going to bed." She tells the water pokémon, rolling down her shirt. "Watch the fire please?" Staryu responds with a soft _hyaa_ and Misty nods and settles herself in her tent, barely shoving Pikachu aside so that she has room. "Sleeping in here?" she asks the electric mouse who snores in response. "Guess so, night." Misty shuts her eyes.

And opens them in a stone room.

A very familiar stone room. She sighs, mind flooding with dread. This dream again. Why did it have to be this dream again?

She's standing, she can feel her legs beneath her. They wobble as though she can't even hold her own weight. Her breath is caught in her throat and as her vision clears, Misty knows exactly why her heart is pounding.

It's Ash.

Falling from high enough in the sky that she doesn't even know where he possibly could have fallen from.

There's no water beneath him. Only stone. And pokémon. A battlefield of pokémon all watching with her as Ash slowly drops.

His body is rigid, he's not even flailing.

When Misty had been really little, she'd jumped from the high dive-her sisters had told her they would catch her, but of course scattered the moment she'd jumped. She'd flailed at first, trying somehow to find something to catch herself on in the air. But in the end, she'd given up, resigned herself to hitting the water alone and just fallen.

Ash reminds her of that as he falls.

Except...

Except...

She'd been alive, Misty had been, when she'd fallen. And she remembers, as still as she'd tried to stay, she couldn't help her arms and legs tensing in the free fall.

But Ash….

His body is too rigid. It's almost...frozen.

He might not be alive.

Misty want's to look away, but knows that any time she does her face will be forced back forwards. Still, she tries and tries and tries and like always she watches him fall...

Down

...down

…...down

She hears him hit the stone, his body crunches in the impact.

She's watching still while around her the pokémon wail.

And her throat hurts. And her eyes are raw and above it all there's a high, keening sound.

It's from her. It's coming from her.

There's a sound, like metal teeth slowly teasing apart.

The tent!

The zipper!

A dream.

Her eyes shoot open. "Pikachu." She whispers. He's already awake, electricity sparking at his cheeks as he postures, ready to tackle whatever comes through the tent door. "Wait for it." she cautions as the zipper slides down further. Misty scoots to her knees, shoving Togepi behind her legs to protect him. Whatever comes in, she and Pikachu can take it. A head pushes through the door, Misty barely registers shaggy black hair before she's caught Pikachu as he leaps through the air. "It's Ash." She whispers, but it's unnecessary. Pikachu has already de-powered his cheeks and is cuddling into her arms as Ash pushes the tent door down further.

A scream from the woods rips through the tent when Ash finally gets it unzipped enough that he can crawl in. They wait, looking at each other in just the light from Pikachu's cheeks until the scream ends and they can hear again. "You're awake?" he says, surprised. It's loud, too loud against the quiet of the tent and the coos of Togepi as he sleeps. Misty winces, nodding in answer to Ash's question. He opens his mouth again but Misty puts a finger to her lips. Ash nods and they lapse into silence. Misty fumbles around in her bag for a flashlight but finds only an old glowstick. She holds it up and Ash's face breaks into a grin. It's not a large tent, they're practically knee to knee and they don't need a light to see one another. Still, Misty breaks the glow stick and the tent fills with a pale green light.

"What are you doing up?" She whispers. Ash shrugs and then flushes, or at least, Misty thinks he does. The light casts odd shadows and colors them both strangely.

"You can tell me." She continues. But still Ash is silent, looking away from her face. Misty breathes out a sigh. "How did you escape rocks for brains?"

Ash smiles, "He's not that bad…" he starts, trailing off at the dark look Misty shoots him. He swallows hard and sighs. "He was snoring. It was so loud I couldn't hear the night." He says. Misty nods. The screaming, he means. Ash sighs. "Actually, I could hear it over him. It's so much quieter next to you."

"What do you mean?" Misty asks, anger fading from her tone in surprise.

"I don't know." Ash says, shifting his eyes, "I don't...hear as much when we share tents or beds...or whatever..."he trails off looking away. If he hadn't been blushing before, he is now.

"Oh….is that why you're here?" Misty asks.

"Yeah...no...maybe?" Ash says.

"Well, I think that's probably every possible answer." Misty shoots back sarcastically.

"Yeah. " Ash replies, and then they're quiet again until Ash takes a deep breath. "Why are you awake?" He asks.

Misty shrugs. "I had a nightmare."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Ash asks.

"Do you want to talk about yours?" Misty returns.

Ash's mouth drops open briefly before he smiles and shakes his head. "Of course you know. You always know." He murmurs.

Misty nods. "I'll share if you do." She says.

"OK. I don't remember much about it...just that...I was falling."

Misty shivers, and huddles in on herself. "What do you mean you were falling?" She asks, voice dripping fear.

Ash blinks. "I was falling. And I couldn't move. And there were a lot of pokémon. I think they were fighting."

Misty shivers again. "Have you ever had that dream before?"

Ash nods. "Why?"

"I had the same dream."

"Ash eyes widen. "You mean you fell too? Isn't it terrifying?"

"No, Ash. I watched you fall." Misty says. Her throat feels tight and her heart is pounding. This is wierd. They should have the same dream, right?

"Oh." Ash says, and he shivers.

"Cold?" Misty asks, knowing the answer.

"No." he replies. They're silent for a few moments before Ash looks away. "Can I uh…" He starts, scratching his nose.

Misty sighs. "Where's your sleeping bag?"

"What?" Ash asks, looking taken aback for the second time in the night.

"You were going to ask if you could sleep in here. You can. Where's your sleeping bag?"

"In Brock's tent." Ash replies, not even questioning that Misty knew exactly what he was going to ask.

Misty breathes out, hard, trying to stop herself from clenching her hands at the mention of their friend's name. It's a fight she loses. "Well," she says darkly, tone dangerously low, "You get to deal with him in the morning too."

Ash sighs. "He's just trying to help, you know?"

"I know...but...we're not kids. We're not his siblings. We know what we're doing." Misty's face feels red hot ion anger and frustration and...And the tent suddenly feels stuffy and airless. The glow stick dies, dropping the tent into an uneasy dark. Togepi coos and rolls over. Misty soothes a hand over his shell and sighs. "Do you want to go outside?" She asks. Ash nods and crawls out through the flap, holding it aside so that Misty can do the same. Carefully, so as not to wake him, Misty settles Pikachu next to Togepi and follows Ash into the night air.

It's freezing out, cold enough that Misty's breath catches in her throat the second she's out from the tent.

But it's open.

And airy.

And she can breathe.

By the pale light of the night, she and Ash make their way over to Staryu and sit in front of the dying fire. Staryu has been watching it, patiently. There are char marks around the circle where the fire's escaped and been doused. Staryu's gem glints oddly in the non-flame but somehow, against the starless night...it's enough.

Misty yawns, leaning against Ash's shoulder. "You know Brock's going to kill us in the morning, right?" Misty asks, half-jokingly.

Beside her, Ash tenses. "Why? We're not breaking any rules; we're not sharing a tent. Besides, who let him make the rules anyway?"

"We did."

"But, why? We're not kids anymore. We can make our own choices."

"So, we stop. We've made our own choices this far." Misty yawns.

Ash's body deflates, the anger melting with the tenseness in his shoulders. "And we've made such good ones too." He says, glumly.

Misty smacks him. "We've made some mistakes, yeah. But we're still standing. He'll get it. Eventually."

"You think?" Ash asks, leaning his head against Misty's

Misty nods. "Yeah. He'll have to." Her eyes feel gritty, and heavy. She rubs them tiredly. They'll work it out. Somehow.

Beside her, Ash's breathing evens out. Misty sighs, envious of his ability to do that-, too fall asleep. She's still awake and angry. Somewhere beyond the camp a scream tears through the night and Misty shivers, willing day to come.


	7. Normal Again

A/N: This chapter did not want to happen…and then I was deadest on finishing a whole day….then again I was also deadest on beating the eight gym leader but then the winding woods were like lol no and then I looked at my calendar and found out I am running an event every weekend until May…so that's a thing

Normal Again

Brock's internal clock has never let him sleep much past dawn. Even here in Strayanthe, Brock is already up before the needle sharp edges of the first light slice into the tent. Of course, Brock hadn't slept much. Between the strange sounds of night in a new place and the lingering….something from his fight the night before, Brock's mind wouldn't quiet. Though, even if he had been able to calm his mind, Brock doubts that he'd have been able to sleep. Brock groans and sits up, rubbing a sleepless night's grit away with balled fists. He yawns and stretches. The night had been so dark-so much darker than any in Kanto that he'd known. And loud.

Brock had never thought a night could be so loud.

If it wasn't the screams of pokémon just outside of camp waking him, then it was Ash.

Poor Ash.

Ash had spent most of the night in and out of what must have been some truly terrifying nightmares. When he'd been awake to hear it-between his own bouts of sleep-Brock had heard Ash whimper and cry. Awake, these were sounds Brock had never heard from the younger boy. But asleep? Asleep they seemed to pour out of him. Though that might have been something Brock could have ignored. Ash's cries, though heart wrenching, were never truly at a volume to compete with the night beyond the tent. And the night, despite its strangeness, stopped shocking him awake after the third hour.

No, what kept waking Brock, truly, was the tossing and turning and kicking and punching that seemed to accompany Ash's dreams. Brock could barely begin to drift when he was hit again and again and again. His body felt like one bruise.

And still the screams.

They were there when he shut his eyes and they were there when he opened them. They bled beneath his pillow when he covered his head and leaked through his fingers when he plugged his ears.

At some point, soon, Brock would have to ask Ash what they were.

Ash.

Right.

Brock is amazed the other boy had been able to sleep at all. But at some point, long after Brock stopped trying to figure the time, he'd quieted down. His dreams must have stopped or at least, he must have given up the fight-whatever it was. He stopped kicking and crying and flailing. Eventually, Brock had been able to sleep.

Or try to.

Brock shifts his shoulders and the crack that bursts from them echoes in the small tent. Brock winces and starts an apology to…an empty sleeping bag.

Brock blinks and rubs his eyes anew.

Still no Ash.

Brock bolts up, breath hitched in his throat and tumbles out of the tent.

He's tripping into a run working his way towards Misty's tent when he spots them.

Both of them.

Asleep in front of a long burned out fire. Well, Brock supposes, breathing calming, they didn't share a tent. He sighs and, walking carefully, restarts the fire. He has a day's ration of oatmeal left and after yesterday...all of yesterday...it can't hurt.

There's something peaceful in cooking breakfast with Ash and Misty still asleep. And it's more than just the quiet as the light grows and the forest settles. It's calming. Breakfast is something Brock knows and can do. It doesn't matter where he is-Johto, Kanto, Strayanthe-breakfast is breakfast.

And not energy bars.

Brock shudders at the thought of the rest of the trip spent eating that….food. Today, at least, there will be oatmeal. Giving the batch a final stir over the restored fire, Brock turns his gaze towards Ash and Misty.

They look so…

so…

...young

Brock knows that they're not the kids he started this journey with. Mew, he knows they're not even the kids he left three months ago. No, the time here had...they're older somehow. But sleeping, as they are, they still look like the kids Brock practically had to hold arms with apart to ensure they lived through the day without coming to blows. Sure, even back then they had fallen asleep on or near each other more often than not, but it was rarely...peaceful. But there they are, asleep with their legs still crossed like they've just fallen over. Ash is on the ground, flat on his back with Misty almost cuddled into his side.

For a moment, a scant moment, Brock considers letting the oatmeal cool and returning to sleep for just a few more hours. They probably could use the rest.

The oatmeal bubbles and pops breaking the moment and Brock forces himself to head over to Misty to shake her up.

Though, was Misty the best choice? If yesterday's...altercation had shown Brock anything it was that she, more so than Ash, had become a fighter. And the girl did always have a violent streak…

Fearing Misty's fists, Brock carefully steps around her to Ash's shoulder and gently shakes the younger boy hoping to wake him and only him. He's barely touched Ash when Misty's eyes slit open. She glances at Brock, hostility flitting uncertainly across a sleepy gaze before turning her eyes on Ash and sighing.

"Ash." She whispers.

He bolts up, eyes shooting open as he sits upright, and knocks Misty to the ground. She hits the hardened forest floor with a dull thud and is still wincing as Ash whips his head about frantically. He opens his mouth to say something when Misty coughs, delicately. Almost comically, Ash looks down and for a moment Brock would swear there is something akin to relief in his eyes. Again, Ash opens his mouth to speak but Misty cuts him off with a raised eyebrow and a head tilted towards her tent. Ash sighs and, vaulting himself to his feet, walks towards the tent.

Misty takes the time in his absence to stretch, her back, shoulders and arms cracking loudly in the silence of the morning. Brock wants to say something, anything to break the tension. Arceus, he'd even settle for calling Ash whipped with the speed he followed Misty's unspoken demand. But Brock feels like Misty wouldn't appreciate it, at least he assumes she won't with the glare she keeps shooting his way. Even Ash's eyes, as he walks back to join them with Pikachu and Togepi in tow, are hostile as they glance at Brock.

Brock sighs.

There's nothing he can say.

He settles for handing them oatmeal.

Their spoons clink in their bowls highlighting in shocking stereo their silence as they eat. Brock isn't really sure how to take it. Alone, both of Ash and Misty have moments when they're quiet-quiet enough that those who don't know them as well as Brock himself might worry that something was wrong. But together? Together they always find some way to talk. There is always something to bicker about or some way that one can tease the other. Occasionally they'll even work together to tease Brock.

This is different.

They chew, swallow, eat more. But never talk. It's silence in a way that makes Brock think that maybe…

well…

He might actually deserve it.

He sticks his spoon in his mouth and swallows. Hard. They don't have time to fix this. He'd hoped, really hoped, that some real food might help but they're both still watching him with eyes drowning in anger. And pain. They hadn't even smiled when he'd handed over the bowls; just accepted them and sat down to watch him.

Sullenly.

Brock sighs. Delia had warned him that there'd be days like this up ahead. But he'd never thought it'd be aimed at him. At each other sure but...this...

Oatmeal won't fix this.

But getting home? Getting home will.

Brock finishes his meal and, sparing one glance back at Ash and Misty eating in silence, stands and walks to his tent. They can do this, they can get to the coast. Just...one step at a time, right? And the next step, here, is to pack up camp. Pack up camp and douse the fire and feed the pokémon...Brock breathes out, list forming in his head.

This is doable.

Completely doable.

Once they've packed up and cleaned and finished they'll...just...head…"Fuck" Behind him, two bowls clatter to the ground.

"You can't still be mad at us." Misty exclaims.

Brock whips around. Just what is she talking about, he's not mad...well...not really…"What?" He asks, eyebrows raising with his voice.

Misty is standing, feet apart and with her hands in fists. Her face is flushed and her eyes are narrowed. This is going to be loud. She opens her mouth to reply, but quiets instantly at Ash's hand on her shoulder.

"About last night, Brock." Ash intones.

His voice is quiet, somehow harsh against the near silent sounds of the forest in the morning. Brock feels like he has to hold his breath to hear him. The sheer act of breathing is almost too loud. Ash is rarely this quiet and when he is...it is never good.

"Look. We. Are not. Kids. So stop." He says through clenched teeth. Misty nods, shifting Togepi to one hand so that she can pick up Pikachu in the other. Together she and Ash and Pikachu stare at Brock waiting.

Brock blinks. "Right. None of us are." he says, nodding. He hadn't, hasn't, been expecting _this_. Whatever _this_ is.

"You can't just…" Ash starts quietly, before blinking confusedly. "Wait...then why?"

"Why, what?"

Ash and Misty share a glance before Ash throws up his hands as though giving up. Misty sighs and, handing over Togepi, steps forward. "Why all these rules? Since the moment you've gotten here, you've just been telling us what to do. We can make our own choices."

Brock blinks, again. What has he told them to...oh "Is this just about the tents?"

"No." Misty says at the same time as Ash chimes in with "Not entirely." They look at one another again and for a few moments say nothing.

"Brock, man. Look, when we say that there's no other choice with Team Rocket, we mean there is NO other choice with Team Rocket. You have to understand or they will hurt you, or us." Ash says, looking down. Misty nods in agreement.

Brock sighs. "I get that. You and Misty have made that abundantly clear. If Meowth is going to do that to you…" he trails off and gestures to Misty, gagging slightly as he remembers the puckered pink line tracing her stomach. "Then...I guess there isn't another choice."

Misty scoffs. "No guessing, Brock. There isn't another choice."

Brock nods. "Ok. There isn't another choice. Besides, after last night with the path...I get it...things are weird here."

"And..." Ash says.

Brock swallows. "And." he says, trying to figure out what else it is that they want...no, need to hear. "And...You have both been here for three months….You know what you're doing and I'll just have to….follow your lead?"

Ash and Misty nod and begin to clean up breakfast. Brock turns around to finish packing up the tent when a thought strikes him and he smiles to himself. "I'm not going to be the one to tell Delia about the tents though." he says, finally finishing packing his half of the camp ground.

He turns to pack up the other tent and finds Misty glaring at him quizzically, with her hands on her hips.

"Do you really think she'd disapprove?" She asks.

Brock laughs. "Arceus no, I just think her reaction would deafen the messenger."

Misty and Ash stop cleaning their meal and look at one another before turning around so fast that Pikachu is dislodged from his residence on Ash's shoulder. He hits the ground and shocks both of them. Brock can't remember a time he's laughed so hard.

Twenty minutes later, Ash and Misty recovered and camp is packed up and they're standing in a clearing with a map unsure where to go next. Getting away from Team Rocket, they had sprinted in a direction and kept moving until they'd found a clearing. It had been late and they had been tired and the map had been an afterthought. But now, in the light of day….They've been staring at the map for five minutes.

"So...oh great leaders...any ideas." Brock asks.

Misty shrugs. "We pick a direction?"

Brock shuts his eyes. This can't end well. They may be acting more...mature...but in all the time he has known Ash and Misty, Brock has never seen them agree on a direction.

"Sounds good." Ash agrees, Brock can hear the easy smile in his voice.

Brock cringes. Any second now the screaming will start. He can practically hear it in his mind. Misty will ask Ash if he's a slowpoke for thinking his choice is the best and Ash will turn around and accuse Misty of having less sense than her psyduck. And then will come the fight with all of the requisite screaming and hitting and somehow it will reduce down to a repetitive is not versus is too and they will end up camping maybe 10 feet away from the previous night's campground.

Moments pass and there is no noise.

Brock sucks in a breath.

Any second now.

Minutes pass.

Tentatively Brock opens an eye and sees…

...nothing….

Where are they?

"Hey, Brock?" Misty calls. Her voice sounds distant. Brock opens his eyes and finds Ash and Misty staring at him from most of the way across the field they'd stopped in.

"You coming man?" Ash asks, waving at him.

Brock looks them over. Neither looks like the other has hit them, neither is flushed in any way. Both are smiling. And they're fairly distant. They agreed...on a direction…when they were lost? Since when could they do that?

Running, Brock catches up with them easily and together they walk deeper into the woods hoping that they find something, anything, that they can match to the map.

Hours of walking later and Brock is beginning to wonder if maybe he shouldn't have pointed in the opposite direction. It had started out fine—they'd been joking and laughing and it had felt for all the world like they were kids again. Then Misty's ankle had started hurting and she'd leaned first on Ash, with Brock leading the way, and now on Brock with Ash in the lead. They hadn't even stopped for lunch, choosing instead to walk on while eating energy bars. Brock is tired. Misty is tensing with every step and even Pikachu is beginning to flag. Brock's about to suggest they look for a clearing for the night-maybe convince Ash to do some training-when Ash runs back to them, smiling and waving wildly.

"I found something!" he calls, happily.

"Is it on the map?" Misty asks from Brock's side, voice strained.

Ash shakes his head, reaching the two of them and taking Misty from Brock. "No. I don't think so. It's really cool though." He starts inching forward, hauling Misty with him. She digs her heel into the ground.

"Woah, Ketchum. Cool by whose standards?"

"Anyone's?" He replies. Brock can practically hear Misty raise her eyebrow. "Look just come on, we can stick to the trees while you look around...ok?" Misty crosses her arms. "Oh, come on. Mist?" Ash turns to Brock, turning Misty with him. "Brock. Make her see reason." He whines.

Brock chuckles. "That's your specialty I think."

Misty glares at him and pushes herself from Ash. "Hey. I'm right here, guys." She says before teetering on her ankle. Ash catches her and sighs, looking to Brock for help.

"Look, Misty. He's really excited. Let's just check it out." Brock suggests, walking up towards Ash and Misty. Looking to Ash, who nods, Brock takes Misty's other arm and throws it over his own shoulder and together they lift Misty off the ground and walk towards whatever it is Ash has discovered.

Ash's 'cool thing', whatever it is…or was, it's old. A building of stone cracked in half and over grown with moss and ivy. The room in the broken place is tall, cavernous even. Like a feast would be at home in its halls. A fountain lays in pieces on what might once have been a lawn. Or at least, Brock thinks that the smaller trees and shorter grass may have been a lawn. Or a beach, there's sand and...Buried steps? The weirdest thing, and what really catches Brock's eye, are the gouges and strange tubes of glass and metal that litter the maybe lawn. Or beach. Something scurries between and around the tubes, though it is nothing Brock recognizes. It's small, whatever is scurrying, maybe around Pikachu's size-but white and covered in what looks like a metallic squirtle shell and skull. As close as they are, Brock can hear the crunching. They're eating the metal in the tubes, he can see that now. There's even some broken glass beside some of the deeper cuts in the earth.

"What are they?" Misty breathes, beside him. Ash shrugs, lifting Misty's shoulder with his own so that Brock can feel it. He pulls out his pokedex and scans the creature but an error is returned. It's not in the 'dex.

"We have to go in there." Ash says.

Brock's eyes widen. "We don't know what those are, Ash. We can't go in there. It might not be safe."

"No," Misty says, sighing. "Ash is right. We have to go in there."

"Or." Brock replies calmly, "And just hear me out. We do the sane thing and walk around it."

"No." Misty replies, shaking her way loose from Ash and Brock. "We should check it out. Who knows...maybe there's someone there who can help us?" She steps away from them and starts away from the trees towards the building.

"Misty, it might not be stable." Brock tries, stepping after her.

Misty stops and looks back. "Brock, it's made of stone. You and I both know that nothing is sturdier than that." She's smiling, but it's not a friendly smile.

Brock sighs and turns to Ash. "Your girlfriend is crazy."

"She's not my girlfriend." Ash replies, stepping out from the trees as well. He dislodges a rock as he moves which slides down, past Misty and towards the creatures. Together the strange pokémon look up and scream metal against metal before diving into the slices in the ground.

Misty turns back to the boys. "See, now it's perfectly safe. Let's explore."

Brock scoffs watching Ash and Misty make their way across the strange Lawn to the building. Safe, he thinks. Right. It's always safe, until everything goes wrong and suddenly they're fighting legendary pokémon. Perfectly safe. That's exactly why Ash and Misty start shivering the closer they get to the building. Because it's safe.

He breathes in and slowly breathes out before plastering a smile to his face. "Hey guys, wait up." He calls, rushing to catch the two of them at the mouth of the wreck.


	8. Empty Places

Empty Places

Misty shivers standing in front of the half building, craning her neck to look up into the empty black of the roof. It's cavernous—a mouth open wide to a field littered with trenches and strange tubes of metal and glass. Misty shivers again thinking of it like that—a mouth waiting to swallow her whole. It makes her feel little again, staring into Gyarados's open mouth before crawling in.

She shudders, knees shaking violently enough that she would tumble over if not for Brock catching her.

"You ok?" he whispers, eyes on the dark of the ruins just past her shoulder.

Misty hums a response, already spinning away from Brock to search for Ash, she'd have sworn that it had been Ash that was right next to her.

Pikachu offers a concerned _chuu_ from the ground somewhere to her right and she turns to the noise only to find Ash staring up at the dark with his arms wrapped around his frame.

"It's huge." Ash whispers in response to another awed _pika_. He's leaning back as he speaks, wide eyes focused entirely on the space in front of them. Misty takes another step back and shivers, almost in time with Ash.

Which is weird; they shouldn't be shivering. It's not exactly cold…the temperature anyway...but it feels…like ice…

...or...

...not really like ice...more like...raw and open.

Like she's been stung by a million beedrill.

Shifting a sleeping Togepi to one arm, Misty reaches a hand up to rub her neck at the thought. The hair that she can never quite seem to catch in her ponyta-tail is standing on end. The whole place feels altogether wrong...like...the Pokémon Tower in Lavender Town...but still somehow…Misty is sure she's been here before...and it's missing something….something like...like the sting of saltwater in her eyes and drenching rain and...and

"Hey, Mist?" Ash calls, breaking her from her reverie.

Misty blinks and looks over to Ash only to find him staring straight ahead into the building. "Yes?"

"Does to place seem...familiar to you?"

"What do you mean, Ash?" Brock asks. Both she and Ash jump. Misty had forgotten he was even here. But he had caught her when she'd stumbled...how….how had she forgotten him?

"Like….like I've been here before." Ash says. Pikachu offers a confused _kaa_ in response to his trainers question but…

"Yeah." Misty says, nodding. "But...also…" She trails off, unsure how to convey exactly that something is missing without being able to say what it is.

Ash sighs. "Yeah…" he trails off, shifting his weight uneasily from foot to foot.

Behind them, Brock coughs and they both turn to look. Sheepishly the older boy scratches his back and smiles. "Do...you guys want to go in?"

"I don't know…" Misty starts, only to be cut off by Ash's uncharacteristic "Is it safe?"

Brock blinks back at them. "Probably?" he says shrugging. "It's on pretty solid ground and is made of stone...I'm don't think we should go up any stairs if we find them...but if we stay at this level, we'll probably be ok?"

Misty's eyebrows shoot to her hair and she opens her mouth to say something but Brock cuts her off.

"I'm sure it will be fine. Besides, maybe they'll be something inside that can help us figure out where we are. Otherwise we're camping again tonight."

Ash nods happily and glances down at Pikachu with a fierce look in his eyes. It's a look Misty has learned not to trust; nothing good follows it. "OK then," Ash starts, chuckling. Misty wills herself not to wince at the tone. "Last one in's a rotten exeggcute." And he dashes inside.

Misty and Brock watch him go, cringing when something large and stone clatters boomingly to the floor somewhere in the dark followed by a hurried "That wasn't me." and a worried _chuu._

Misty turns back to Brock from the mouth of the building and smiles weakly. "I'm surprised at you, Brock. You don't usually encourage Ash's..." She trails off, waving off into the dark. As if on cue something else large and heavy clutters down eliciting the same response from what they hope are the sole inhabitant up ahead. Misty hangs her head. "That. You don't usually encourage that."

Brock sighs. "Yeah...but we're here. And if I've learned anything, traveling with you two it's that there is no stopping whatever is going to happen. May as well just set it in motion and deal with it sooner. Maybe we'll get off easy."

Misty nods. "I just keep waiting for someone to show up and...I don't know...claim Ash is the only hope to save the world or something."

"Yeah...I guess we'll just have to pray that it's a guy who shows up….I'm not sure that we would survive your jealousy if someone like that kissed Ash again."

"Yeah." Misty says, starting forward only to stop and turn around again. "Hey, that only happened once...and you weren't even with us…"

"What, Tracey and I aren't allowed to talk?" Brock asks as something else falls. "We better get in there and stop him from killing himself before the end of the world."

"That was only that one time...maybe two…" But Brock has already started inside. Misty sighs and, looking back once more to the field behind them, steps shivering into the dark.

The first steps into the building sting like she's been hit by a tentacool swarm. She actually stops, one foot in and one out to shift Togepi to her bag just so she can rub her arms. They hurt. Her face hurts. Her legs hurt. She doesn't want to step in but Brock walks through like he's stepping through a door so Misty follows. It has to all be in her head. Like...like she's just remembering Gyarados and nothing more.

She closes her eyes, takes a deep breath and grits her teeth. She can do this. She breathes out, slowly and then steps the final few feet like breaking through plastic wrap.

The stinging is still there, like a buzzing at the back of her mind pleading with her to leave, to step back out, that being here is not really something she needs to do. But…

The air is cooler inside the half building and outside on the grass everything had felt just as wrong so, after a moment, she feels silly standing in an open room with her eyes clenched shut and hands fisted as though waiting for something awful to happen. She breathes out and opens an eye to the dark. At first, she doesn't see anything but slowly her eyes adjust until, if she squints, she can make out the clutter.

Those strange tubes are everywhere cracked and broken; sprouting from the floor and hanging from the ceiling like so many teeth. There's broken glass everywhere—the floor practically glitters in a sharp snow. Stranger still are the shells, every few feet the light bounces off what looks like the discarded shells of the strange creatures that Ash had scared away. Mostly, though, the shells are hidden. Tucked away under desks and behind broken screens. There's paper too and folders and binders. Most of it looks to be falling apart or burned to a char. Whatever happened here, it wasn't good.

It's dusty too.

Misty can see it floating in the dim light.

She takes a breath in and regrets it. She sneezes and the papers she'd been glancing at go flying.

Coughing, Misty bends over to pick them up and stops. There's one paper, well, the corner of one really, that's dated only a few months back. The notes are smudged beyond legibility and, honestly beyond the numbers there's not a really a symbol she recognizes anyway. But what catches her attention is the watermark that she can almost see behind the numbers and text—it from the Cerulean hotel. For a moment, she's dizzy. That date—it's around when her sisters had called. Around when she'd have been back in Cerulean if she'd followed their plan.

She swallows hard and puts the paper down; it's weird, but it won't help them figure out where they are. She hopes one of the others have found something because she would really like to leave.

"Ash? Brock?" She calls, standing up. She wipes her palms on her legs, trying to rid her hands of that nauseating stinging that's come back. Taking a deep, she finishes her thought. "Where are you guys? Did you find anything?"

"Nothing that says where we are." Brock replies, walking towards her from somewhere in the dark. "But I found something weird." He holds out a rusted clipboard with a few papers still attached to a near disintegrated clip. The papers are heavily degraded—nearly everything that might let Misty know what the notes were taken in reference to has crumbled away, but they seem somehow familiar. Though not in the same way that the building feels; the papers don't look like she's them before, somewhere. No, the papers remind her of the ones Professor Oak is always carrying around. Or Tracey's sketchbook; notes a scientist would take. It makes her wish she could read more on the disintegrating pages than a date, some four years before, and a location...or at least what she thinks is a location if that's what the watermarked Old Shore Wharf means.

"What's so weird about these?" Misty asks, confused.

Brock's eyes widen and he shakes his head in disbelief. "Misty, we were at the Old Shore Wharf when whoever it was wrote these notes. Don't you remember? That huge storm that just...vanished?"

Misty shrugs. "So?" It doesn't seem that important, until, all of a sudden, it does. That storm...the pokémon…"New Island." She mumbles.

Brock blinks. "New island?"

Misty nods slowly. "The reason we were at the wharf," she replies, trailing off. She was sure they'd gone to the wharf to get to New Island...But that can't be right. In all her memory, Misty can't recall a place in Kanto by that name. Besides, they'd gone to the wharf for… "Why were we there?"

Brock shrugs. "Who knows? It was years ago, Misty."

"But why were we there? We dropped everything and went there...and then... to that island." Misty shivers, remembering dark beaches and color water.

Brock tilts his head, confusion and concern playing across his face. "What island? Are you feeling ok?" Brock asks.

Misty nods, plastering a smile on her face. "Must be from a dream...have you seen Ash? Nothing's crashed in a while and I haven't heard Pikachu shock anything."

Brock shakes his head, still eying Misty worriedly so she turns to the dark, away from his face, and calls, "Ash?"

Both she and Brock are silent for a beat, waiting for a response. Somewhere up ahead, something large and heavy falls to the stone.

"I'm ok." Ash's voice calls from somewhere ahead. It's much closer then Misty had thought he was, definitely much nearer than the noises that echo in the dark. Misty looks to Brock, concerned but he doesn't seem worried. "I found something." Ash calls, voice closer still.

"Us too, come share." Misty says towards the dark before turning back to Brock with a smile that quickly falls when she finds her face full of rusted metal and tea-colored paper.

"Misty, read this." Brock says again.

Misty rolls her eyes and, grimacing, reaches out to take the clipboard. It's cold, her hand tingles when she touches it, like touching Pikachu's cheeks before he shocks Ash. Her arm drops and she rubs her palm against her hand. "Eww." she offers, weakly. "It's so gross. You hold it." She says, not wanting Brock to ask about her actions. Brock rolls his eyes but, obligingly, holds the board so that she can read it.

There's nothing much to read. Most every word is worn away, the paper is crumbled to tatters and fibers. The few words that are there stand out in stark pen. A 'the' and 'are' and then a few strings of those same symbols. She's about to hand it back to Brock, having glanced through the whole thing in an attempt to find whatever it was he found odd, when something catches her eye. At the very bottom of the last page is a nearly complete sentence which is only slightly worn away with maybe three words marked out. It's blurred and smudged but, from what Misty can guess, says something about a young trainer with strange abilities. Blinking, Misty reads through it once more, before looking back up at Brock.

"OK?" she says slowly, unsure what he's found.

Brock sighs. "Don't you see? Misty, we were there. With Ash." He grins, mischievously and Misty shakes her head. "Obviously this is about Ash."

Misty scoffs and smacks him just as Ash finds them.

"What's about me?" he asks, he's holding an old file stamped with a large, red 'R'. Pikachu, on his shoulder, has another.

Brock laughs, rubbing his head where Misty had swatted him.

"Nothing" Brock says at the same time Misty asks where Ash had been. She's surprised, it hadn't taken him long to find them at all. He must have been close.

"Just over there." Ash gestures with the file, knocking loose some rotted pages, towards a desk not terribly far away. It's close enough he must have heard her sneeze. "It felt weird too far from you guys...like something was buzzing."

Misty swallows hard. "What did you find? Does it say where we are?" She asks.

Ash shakes his head. "No, but it's strange." Without any further explanation he takes the file from Pikachu and opens them both.

They're degraded, obviously, both of the files. There are signs in each that there had once been papers and notes and memos that have become dust and rot and mold. One of the files, and not the one Pikachu had been holding, looks like it might even have been chewed on by something. From what is left, there's nothing really that seems weird to Misty. Most of the pages that remain are blackened out, same as the paper Brock had found. Or covered in those strange symbols that Misty can't read. There are no names and what little Misty can understand are only dates from nearly 50 years back.

She raises her eyebrows and looks at Ash, about to ask just what is so strange about the files when Brock beats her to it.

"I don't get it. What's so weird about these?"

Ash sighs and flips some pages, first in one file and then the other to reveal a picture in each stapled to what might once have been a form of some kind, long since rotted away.

Brock shakes his head, laughing. "Leave it to Ash to only look at the pictures."

But Misty barely hears him over her gasp. Those pictures...they're Jessie and James. Or at least...some people who look just like them. But no, it's not just the hair and looks. It's the way they're standing; Jessie, glaring at the camera and James looking down and away with a rose in his fingers. Misty refuses to believe there are more than two people in the world who would look and stand and act like that.

"Weird, right?" Ash asks. Pikachu _chuu_ 's beside him, nodding his head.

"Yeah." Misty agrees.

Brock snatches the papers and looks at them more closely, shaking his head as he does. "It's strange." he says, after a moment. "They look just like Jessie and James. But it's not possible. These papers say that they're from over 50 ago. No way this is Jessie and James."

"They have been following me for six years." Ash says, swallowing hard. "Do they look any older to either of you?"

Brock shakes his head again, handing the files back to Ash. "They're older than us though, who knows how old they actually are. Not fifty though. This has to be a trick or something. Maybe we should leave before they find us."

"Brock, do you really think this whole building is a trap?" Misty asks.

Brock shrugs. "Why not, they've built crazy things before. Do you remember their Gyarados sub?"

"Yeah but…" Misty stops, hearing a creak somewhere at the building's opening. The three of them look at one another, and then out to the field in front of the building. Moments pass and nothing happens. Misty breathes out.

"Arceus," Brock swears, breaking the silence. "I thought that they were here with that motto."

Misty shivers, suddenly cold in the building. "They don't really do that anymore." She whispers, locking chapped lips. Her voice sounds rough to her ears.

"Yeah." Ash agrees, rubbing his arms.

"Are you two ok?" Brock asks.

"Cold." they say together, shivering again. Far away, in the dark, something else large and heavy hits the floor and Pikachu coos uneasily.

Brock lays a hand on each of their foreheads, eyes focused somewhere in the dark. For a moment, he looks concerned but then shrugs. "Neither of you feel warm. Let's head back outside though. There's nothing in here. Still, we should " As if to punctuate his words something else falls, close enough to where they're standing that Misty's legs shake with the noise.

They're just stepping out into the late afternoon sun when Misty's stomach drops. It's odd, one moment she feels fine—well, not fine. Not really. Her arms, face, legs—everywhere—is still tingly and everything still feels off; but no more off then it's felt all day. So she doesn't feel fine but she does feel...the same...at least...until she steps outside and suddenly everything flips.

Her arm is over Ash's shoulder it happens. He's helping her over some of the more difficult steps between the building and the field that might be a lawn one second and the next her stomach is lurching and Ash's skin has gone clammy. He turns his head and looks at her, panic raw in his eyes. What is happening? Brock alone seems not to notice. He's ahead of them already, helping to scout an easier path, but stops as soon as he realizes Ash and Misty have frozen. He turns around, eyes etched with concern, to see what has happened but never quite gets words out of his mouth.

"What are you children doing here?" A deep, whining, voice drones over them. "It's dangerous."

Brock takes a step back and nods, slowly, with the voice. "Arceus," he breathes, looking around. "It is dangerous here. We need to leave."

"We are leaving, Brock." Misty says, slowly. Her eyes are focused entirely on Brock now, he's standing dazedly like he used to around Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny. But his eyes are blank and his tone low and steady.

Ash shakes his head quickly, Drawing Misty's eyes to his face. For a moment, after he shakes, his eyes unfocus before he too nods. "Brock's right, Misty. It's dangerous here."

Misty starts, she can't remember the last time Ash had called her by her full name. Even screaming at one another, he still calls her Mist. "What are you two talking about?" She asks, unease bleeding into anger. "We are leaving."

Brock nods. "You're right. Misty, how did I ever let you convince us to come here?"

Misty blinks. "Excuse me? Wasn't it you who said that there was no stopping whatever's going to happen? "

"You need to leave, now." The voice echoes again.

Ash shakes his head again and his eyes refocus. He scratches his head and blinks, looking just past Misty towards the voice. His eyes widen in surprise and he starts waving. "Mist, look. It's that old guy with the berries."

"What are you talking about, Ash?" Misty asks tiredly. At least she's back to being Mist. Turning to follow Ash's hand, she barely swallows her gasp of surprise. Ash is right. Standing out in the field is the same old guy they'd run into before. He standing rigidly, turning his whole body to look around the field. Just like the last time they'd seen him, he has his hair pulled back into a ratty blue tinged tail that drags near his feet. He looks just as dirty...or...dirty was never the right word...worn, maybe? Old and forgotten at least.

Stiffly he lifts one hand and points a weirdly clubbed finger towards them. Misty shudders. His finger, like his face, is stained purple; the same purple as the berries that grew in the region.

"It's not safe here." The man repeats, narrowing his eyes in a glare.

Misty swallows hard as Brock and Ash nod slowly along with his words.

"OK," Misty starts, Brock and Ash turn back to her and the rest of her words are drowned in a gasp. Both of them have dazed expressions on their faces. They need to get out of here. "Ok," she says again.

"We'll leave. Happy to. But we're lost. Is there a pokémon center nearby?"

The old man narrows his eyes again. "Yes." he says, and points towards the opposite end of the field.

Misty nods and, under the old man's narrow glare, grabs Ash's hand and pushes Brock towards the opposite end of the field. It's slow going, she practically has to lead both boys over and around everything in their path. And every stumble, trip and fall she can feel the old man's eyes searing g into her back.

At the edge of the grass, Ash shakes his head and looks around with newly focused eyes. He starts to ask Misty...something but only gets as far as a hoarse "Mist?" before Misty puts a finger to her lips and throws Brock's arm around his shoulder. She doesn't have the energy to talk or the answers to give.

Together, the two of them haul Brock into the forest and down the path until, ten minutes later, with the start of a village just visible past the sparse trees, Brock too shakes his head.

His confused, "Where are we?" is perhaps the most wonderful sound Misty has heard in a long while.


	9. Lovers Walk

A/N: So…I think that I have come to realize that commas are things that make no sense to me...also...dear gods long form fics are exhausting, but the reviews for sure, keep me smiling through the madness. Now if I only knew where I was headed next...

Lovers Walk

Ash is quiet as they walk down the forest path that the old man had pointed them down. He doesn't talk or mention as his legs hurt or stomach growls or his eyes grow heavy. His head feels too fuzzy to pick through it. And unfamiliar, like his thoughts aren't his own. Which is weird. But...it reminds Ash of coming home to his room at the end of a journey and looking around at all the things he'd left behind. So much of the stuff on his shelves and desk and bed had been so important but a year later and they're just….things. Things he remembers, of course, but things he'd left behind so that they're covered with a layer of dust. Or would be if his mother didn't dust his room daily.

Ash isn't used to his head feeling that way, like it doesn't belong only to him anymore, but he doesn't know what might have caused it. He doesn't remember a lot of the afternoon. He'd woken up and fought with Brock and then found a building and then….it's like static in his mind. There's nothing there after the building until...the old man...and then...they're looking for a pokémon center in the town that the old man had pointed them to. Though, it may not actually be a town-it's smaller even then Pallet and the roads are mostly foot worn paths. Maybe it's a village or...a settlement? He's pretty sure he read about those at some point. Maybe Misty would know. She's so much better at keeping up with the trainer classes they take. Though, she'd probably yell at him for missing a test. Maybe he'll ask Brock.

Still, town or not, they find a door with a pokeball carved in it. The house it's attached to isn't very large but neither is it falling down. It could be worse, they've found centers that weren't much more than shrines with hardly enough room for their pokémon to fit.

Ash reaches the door first and, nodding at Misty, raises his fist to knock. Brock catches his hand.

"What are you doing?" Brock asks, looking at Ash the same way he'd looked at him when Ash had first challenged his gym with Pikachu. On Ash's shoulder Pikachu sighs quietly.

Misty is nowhere near as polite, huffing out a deep sigh and rubbing her eyes. She looks tired. "Knocking on the center door, what does it look like he's doing?"

"Center door? Are you two sure you're feeling ok? That's someone's house." Brock walks over to Ash and puts his hand against his forehead for what must be the millionth time since they'd entered the ruins. "Well, you don't feel like you have a fever." Brock says, walking over to Misty to do the same.

Misty leans away from him and shifts her stance like she ready for a fight. She raises the hand not holding Togepi and shakes her finger threateningly. "Don't even try it." She says, voice low and tight in a snarl that makes the hair on the back of Ash's head stand up.

Brock backs up from her and turns back to Ash, shrugging. "That's not a pokémon center." He repeats.

"Yes it is, rocks-for-brains." Misty shoots back, anger building.

Ash laughs. He has to end this before they start yelling again. Briefly, Ash wonders if this is what Brock had felt like back when they'd been kids. On his shoulder, Pikachu sparks, breaking Ash from his thoughts.

Right.

End this.

"It is a center, Brock. See the pokeball." Ash says pointing at the rough circle on the door. "That's how they do centers here. They're not all like…" Ash trails off, not sure how to finish.

Brock's eyebrows shoot to his hair but he swallows and nods. "Ok then. Knock away, I guess."

Ash looks back at Misty who shrugs and nods. Sighing, Ash lifts his fist and knocks sharply at the door. For a few moments nothing happens and Brock smiles the way Ash always does when he wins a battle Misty had been sure he'd lose but before Brock can speak the door starts howling.

Or, the door doesn't howl but something behind it does. And it opens, slowly. A black blur rushes out from the door and crowds Misty's heels, growling at her. Togepi trills unhappily and Ash turns around to find a houndour snapping at Misty. Pikachu offers a warning _chuu_ and Ash can feel the electricity sparking from his cheeks.

"Misty?" Ash asks.

She opens her mouth to say something but is cut off by a raspy voice from somewhere behind Ash.

"Houndour." The voice says, sharply. The dog pokémon stops suddenly and whines. "Come."

Ash whirls around to find an old woman standing in the door. Her face is lined with wrinkles and tanned from working outside and her clothes are dirty and worn but she stands straight and glares at Houndour as it walks back with its head hung. The pokémon stops at her side and sits solidly at her feet. She glares at it for a beat longer and then smiles at Ash.

"You must be trainers." She states.

Ash blinks. And opens his mouth only to shut it again. They are trainers but...this old woman must be one too. Which is...weird...they haven't met another trainer in almost three months. Not even the Joys that they've met have pokémon. Ash glances at Misty and her eyes are wide, she doesn't know what to say either.

"Yes." Brock replies, saving them from the silence. "And, we're sorry to bother you but my friends here are convinced that this is a pokémon center. Now clearly it isn't but…"

"No. It is." The woman says, cutting Brock off. "There only three of you?"

"Yes." Misty answers, stepping forward into the light of the door. It's grown darker as they've been talking and even in the light of the door, Ash can only just make out Misty's outline.

"I take it you're staying the night?"

"If we can." Ash coughs out, finally finding his voice.

The woman hums and steps aside, gesturing them in. The three of them look at one another and then Misty steps through the door. The houndour growls at her as she passes until the old woman whistles at it and it walks away, whining. Ash and Brock follow her through and the old woman leads them to her front room.

It's shabby. And small. There's a worn rug on the floor and a tattered curtain on the window. A few sad cots are stacked in one corner and the other is taken up by a nearly empty medicine shelf. From across the room, Ash can only make out a few Potions and an Antidote as well as some bandages and antiseptic. But it's warm and inside.

"To your liking?" The old woman asks as Ash steps into the room.

"Yes. Thank you so much." Misty replies from behind him. She's smiling, Ash can hear it in her voice.

The old woman cracks her shoulders and steps out of the room, calling behind her as she does that she'll be back with food.

Half an hour later they've pulled down the cots and set up their sleeping bags. For a while, Ash had been sure Brock and Misty were going to fight again. Setting up her sleeping bag beside Ash's, Misty shoulders had tensed and she'd started moving in quick jerks. But Brock hadn't said anything and, as he set his sleeping bag up on the cot on the other side of Ash, Misty shoulders had dropped.

Ash is beginning to consider lying down when the old woman comes back in with a three bowls of rice stew. Or what she calls rice stew anyway; Ash is fairly certain that it's just watery rice. But its food and not energy bars so he takes it happily, offering bites to Pikachu between his own. Out of the corner of his eye he sees Misty doing the same with Togepi.

The old woman watches them eat for a bit before smiling and shaking her head. "You three were hungry, I take it."

Brock nods and Ash, through a mouthful, replies "This is so much better than those energy bars."

Beside Ash, Misty nearly chokes as she coughs out, "Ash, manners."

The old woman laughs. "Those energy bars are terrible." She nods to herself for a second before sighing. "We don't get too many trainers around here, at least not after The War. Where all did you three come from."

Carefully, Ash swallows his mouthful before answering. "That old building through the woods."

The old woman's eyes widen and she swallows hard. "The old Rocket lab?"

"Maybe?" Ash shrugs.

"We did find those folders with the 'R' on them." Misty supplies.

The old woman swallows hard again. "You're lucky you got out. That whole area is full of wild pokémon. And psychics." She shudders.

"Nurse Joy didn't like psychic types either." Misty says. Ash finishes his bowl and is still hungry but Misty has stopped eating. He cranes his neck and finds her bowl half full. Misty turns to look at him and sighs. Smiling, she hands her bowl over to Ash. Brock raises his eyebrows at the exchange but says nothing.

The old woman nods. "Well she wouldn't. After all those psychic types got loose, trainers stopped coming through here. And they're all over the old labs." She shakes her head again and stands up, collecting their bowls. "Well it's late, I should let you all get to sleep."

It's only just dark but Ash is tired and his bed is set up so he lays down and closes his eyes.

And opens them to whispered shouting near Brock's bed. He considers going back to sleep, nudging Pikachu off of the pillow he's stolen and covering his ears when Misty's voice cuts through the night.

"I'm. Fine."

"I just want to help." Brock whispers back.

"Just leave me alone. You wouldn't understand it anyway." Misty responds, louder.

"Misty, there is nothing you could tell me that I wouldn't understand." Brock hisses

"Right, like you understood what happened Team Rocket." Misty spits. Ash cringes. That is not a good tone. "I just, I can't take this right now." She says, walking out past Ash's cot and through the door.

Ash groans and sits up. "What did you do?" He asks, quietly.

In the dark, Brock shrugs. "I don't know."

Tiredly Ash scrubs a hand over his face, and reaches for his shoes. He'll have to go after her. "What happened?"

Brock sits on his cot and sighs, placing his head in his hands. "She was tossing and turning and...I woke her up to see if I could help."

Tugging his left shoe on, Ash sighs. Another nightmare? Ash had hoped that those would go away, or least wake him up. They always had in the past. Arceus, he wasn't getting any sleep tonight. "Ok," he says out loud, "I'll bring her back in."

"What is going on with you two?" Brock asks, looking up at Ash.

Ash blinks and reaches for his other shoe. "What?"

Brock mumbles something that sounds suspiciously like a complaint about being surrounded by children, before scooting himself closer to Ash. "What do you mean, what?"

Finally finding his shoe beneath Misty's cot, Ash sits back up and shrugs. "I mean, I have no idea what you're talking about."

Brock shakes his head, "Really? No idea? What I'm asking, Ash, is how long you and Misty have been...whatever you are…. together."

"This again? Come on, Brock. It's not...We're just friends."

"Right." Brock replies, and even in the dark, Ash can see his eyebrow go up. "Friends. Friends who share beds, split meals and…." He trails. Ash is about to breathe a sigh of relief, thankful that Brock is done when he continues. "And off to go after each other into the dark after midnight?"

Ash huffs out a breath and unties his shoe. "Fine, best friends then. What of it?"

"Oh mew." Brock chuckles. "Ash, you're in a relationship and you don't even know it. All that's missing is...the physical stuff."

Ash drops his shoe. "What?" he squeaks.

"Or...have you two kissed?"

Ash coughs and his feels his face heating up. "No." He replies, reaching for his shoe and shoving it on his foot.

"But, you want to?" Brock asks.

Ash stands up causing Pikachu to mumble in his sleep. "We're not like that." he grumbles, turning to leave

"Of course not. You're just friends."

"Shut up," Ash replies, stepping out the door to Brock laughing.

Ash doesn't have to walk far to find Misty. She's leaning against the house...pokémon center...just inside the light over the door. Her back is to the wall and her knees are pulled into her body with her hands and head on top of them. Pausing just inside the door, Ash looks back into the house and takes a deep breath, steeling himself to step into the night.

"Hey." He says, standing just beside Misty.

"Hey." She mumbles back, head still in her hands.

Ash scratches his head, unsure what exactly to say next. He'd never really been great at getting Misty to talk when she didn't want to. Usually, she started talking the second Ash caught up with her. Maybe his mother? She and Misty had always gotten along so well. And his mother was so good at making him feel better after dreams. Reflexively Ash reached for his pokedex in his jacket pocket. The same jacket that Pikachu was currently using as a blanket.

Oh well.

It wouldn't have worked anyway. He needed service to message his mother and a phone that could call out to talk to her.

He had neither.

Scratching his head again he turns back to Misty only to find that her head, though still on her knees, is turned towards him. In the night her normally light blue eyes are the starless sky. Shivering, Ash walks over to her and slides down next to her so that the whole line of his body is touching hers.

"Hey," he says again.

"Somehow this sounds familiar." Up close her voice sounds husky like she's been yelling. Or crying.

"You want to talk about it?" Ash asks. Misty shakes her head and with it Ash's whole body. "Okay." Ash replies and shrugs, lifting Misty's shoulders with his own. But it's not enough. Misty is still not talking and his skin is itching with the need to say something. But...what? "See any good water ballet's lately?"

Misty's silent for a short while. Everything is quiet. Not even a blade of grass in the browning lawn moves. Ash holds his breath.

Slowly, slowly, Misty's shoulders start shaking and Ash's stomach falls to cold stone.

She's crying again.

What did he do?

He turns his head to look her only to find her smiling brighter than any of the Nurse Joy's in Kanto.

"You're such a psyduck." She laughs and bumps his shoulder with her own.

Ash laughs and bumps her back prompting a short shoving war that leaves them both laughing. Ash is glad that Misty's smiling again. A happy Misty is one he understands; one that doesn't make him feel like he somehow has to stop the world from ending all around him. A sad Misty is just...he breathes out slowly. Misty still catching her breath beside him, lays her head on his shoulder and his face grows warm. He reaches up to pull his hat down only to remember that it too is still inside with his jacket. Ash groans aloud wishing he had managed to grab something other than his shoes which, of course, only causes Misty to look at him with her eyebrow raised.

"You alright?" She asks.

Ash nods numbly and is about to suggest that they head inside when he realizes that he still doesn't know why Misty had run out. "What about you?"

"Of course." She replies quickly.

Ash blinks. In the six years he's known her, Ash has gotten very good at speaking Misty and he knows that the quick reply she'd given only means she's lying. Or hiding something. He raises his eyebrow, though she probably can't see it in the dark, and says nothing.

Misty tenses on his shoulder. Ash waits. She'll talk. She always has in the past. Or called her sisters. But she can't do that now, so Ash is sure she'll talk.

Eventually.

He hopes.

She takes a deep shuddering breath and lifts her head to stare out past the small circle of light and towards the forest they'd come through. She sighs and rolls her shoulders. "Do you remember New Island?"

Ash blinks. In their time traveling, he and Misty have been all over Kanto and Johto and he was never one to remember places by name once they've left. Even in his home region, he remembers cities by gyms and friends left not by name or location. Still...New Island. It sounds unfamiliar but the words fill him with dread like dropping to a floor filled with pokémon fighting. He breathes hard, stomach hitting stone and shakes his head slowly.

Misty nods and Ash wonders if that's the answer she was expecting. She doesn't seem surprised anyway, or angry because she lays her head back on his shoulder.

After a few moments of silence, she takes a breath. "I had this dream." She starts, but then doesn't continue.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah...it was...do you ever…"She trails off like she's not sure how to finish and buries her head in her hands.

Around them the lights dim. She huffs out a deep breath and the whole side of Ash's body feels...tingly and wrong.

Ash shifts so that he's facing Misty and lifts her head up speaking only when her eyes or focused on his. "Whatever it is, Misty. I'm listening."

She nods but shifts her eyes away the instant she starts speaking. "Do you ever feel like...you're...like not all your thoughts are your own?"

Ash swallows hard and nods. "Yeah."

"Yeah," Misty hums. "It was like that." She's quiet again, long enough that Ash thinks maybe she's fallen asleep when all of sudden the words pour out of her faster than hydro pump. "I could see myself...my hands. But they weren't my hands, you know? They were huge and wrinkly and I was in this really fancy room….but I was scared and talking to someone in...An orange suit? But he looked really familiar…"

"An orange suit?" It was ridiculous, just a dream probably and Ash would be laughing if not for how worried Misty had sounded.

"Yeah...he looked like, well...I think he was the Viridian Gym leader."

"Mist, we've never met the Viridian Gym leader. Remember? I battled Jessie for the badge?"

"Hey slowpoke," she quips sarcastically, "one of us grew up in the gyms. It was him. I'm sure of it. He was yelling at...whoever I was about the...batches not being made quickly enough."

"Batches of what?"

"No idea, but he was angry and...I was trying to explain that there was no way we could," she looks towards the ground and speaks in a far off voice. She sounds just like she does when she's quoting some League rule or another that Ash has forgotten, "speed up production without cutting something out."

"Speed up production?" Ash pulls her chin up so that she's looking at him again. "Mist, what are you talking about?"

"This parts the weirdest though, Ash. Giovanni, in my dream, he said that he'd never liked the morality imprint anyway….that they made his agents too soft. And I agreed and left and then, I was in a hallway and felt like my head was going to explode...and I saw this...thing... on my head and my memory felt empty."

"Thing?"

"I think it was a hand? But it was weird, it had three fingers that ended in circles and it was purple."

Ash shivers, purple hand feeling somehow familiar in the white static that is his memory of the day. He lets go of Misty's face and shifts around so that he's beside her again, the whole line of his side warm from touching her. She breathes out and lays her head back on his shoulders.

"It was probably just a dream though," she sighs. "Still. Thanks for listening." Her voice has gone softer and the light, dimming in and out for her whole story suddenly blinks back on.

"Always, Mist." Ash replies, she hums and her breathing slows. Slowly, Ash reaches for his pokedex for the second time in the night only to remember that it's not there. He sighs and shuffles, settling Misty more comfortably on his shoulder. She mumbles unhappily but her eyes slide shut. It was probably a longshot anyway, Ash thinks, trying to look up a pokémon based on their hands. The 'dex would never have it. In the low light Ash watches the forest in front of them until his eyes start to droop and the night gets too cold to manage.

"Hey, Mist?" He whispers, but she doesn't respond. Her eyes are closed and her breathing is even. Ash sighs, she's fallen asleep. Briefly he considers staying outside but as though the air has heard him, the temperature drops and he shivers. "Brock is not going to let me live this down," he mumbles to himself as he maneuvers Misty into his arms and carries her to the room with their cots.

Brock's eyes are closed when Ash sets Misty down on his own bed, not wanting to move her the extra few feet to her own. He looks to Misty's cot before shrugging and sliding into his own with Misty. It's a tight fit but they always seem to sleep so much better with one another. Besides, Ash reasons, if she has another nightmare he wants to be sure to wake up.

Ash is just drifting off, lulled by the even sounds of Misty and Pikachu and even Togepi breathing, when he hears Brock snort from beside him, "Yeah, just friends."

Scoffing, Ash holds up his middle finger behind him where the older boy is sure to see it and falls asleep to Brock laughing quietly.


	10. Conversations with Dead People

A/N: I'm beginning to think that there's this list of things intelligent people do when planning a long form story. A list including things like outlining a plot, setting up a posting schedule, staying a chapter or so ahead in case of writers block and having a calendar of in story events. Then there's the list of things I've done which include such highlights as spilling applesauce on my shirt, having way too much on my plate at work and forgetting what day of the week it is thanks to The Division….At any rate…I'm sorry I fail at updating and this chapter wouldn't have happened without many long conversations with Aetheron…but I sort of have an outline now?

Conversations with Dead People

It starts with a scream.

A low, anguished howl that sets Misty's teeth on edge and raises the hair on the back of her neck.

Or…

Should…

There doesn't seem to be any hair on her neck or head.

And the hand stretched out in front of her isn't hers. It's purple and huge and…wrong. Only three fingers with large purple balls at the ends. Still, when she raises her arm that hand goes with it.

So do the screams. Up, up, up; higher in the dark in front of her.

When she draws her arm in the hand comes as well, pulling in closer to her body until she can almost feel it resting at her chest.

The screams follow, closer and closer until something, no someone, pierces the dark.

Someone dripping blood.

Someone with a white Team Rocket uniform and purple hair.

James.

It's James.

He's bloodied and bruised and floating in the air while he howls in pain and anger and….

Misty's hand is clenched, almost painfully tense. She relaxes it and the screaming stops.

The laughter begins.

A slow, gurgling, wild laugh bubbles from the dripping man in front of her. He spits, a slow arc of blood and something heavy lands somewhere near her feet. Or…it hits somewhere in front of Misty and slides, like rain on a window.

Misty shivers in disgust but her body remains still, the movement rattling against her brain like a caged mankey.

"You can't kill them all," James chokes out in a voice that sounds nothing like the James Misty has ever known. It's a monotone mockery of James's smooth timbre. It's his voice at its barest; there's no...personality. And the accent…it's not James. It's not even a bad impression of James. It's…just words and tones spilling from his mouth. "More will come." He smirks, though his mouth is all that moves. His eyes stay just as empty and unfocused as before, like whatever is controlling him can only articulate so much at once.

Like whatever is controlling him? Misty has no idea where that thought had come from, but it seems right. There's no way that this….thing, is James. Unbidden, Misty can feel her mouth twist into a smile. "So they know they're an abomination?" Misty asks in a voice that's not hers. It's too deep and…empty. There's no emotion behind it. And the words, they don't even...an abomination? It doesn't mean anything, but her stomach sinks at the idea of it.

"They all know at the end." James sneers.

Misty's vision swims for a moment, her head swiveling up and down in what might be a nod. This isn't James. Somehow, Misty is sure of that. James's body it may be, but the person running the show is someone else.

"I will stop you from creating these...creatures. I will destroy them all." Misty clenches her hand, though not by choice, as the voice that isn't hers speaks. Across from her, James chokes and claws for air. Only breathing again when Misty's hand relaxes.

"Including yourself?" James's face twitches in the blood and Misty is sure that, if he could, his eyebrow would raise.

"When the time comes." Misty replies.

James laughs again, though his face never changes. That wild, burbling laugh rips from his throat through a face that is slack and empty. Misty shudders, though she never moves.

"Team Rocket can take and do whatever we please. We'll make as many…creatures as we want."

"It stops here. " Misty sneers. "I won't let you have the Pikachu. You'll make no more pokémon into monsters."

The laughter stops as suddenly as it had started. "Fool," James spits. "You can save your precious rodent if that's all you care about. It's the trainer we want. We'll leave the rodent alone if that's all you want."

"The trainer?" Misty asks, surprise rippling through her mind.

"You see, this. This is why you need a master." James laughs bitterly. "Of course the trainer, you idiot. You saw that power at New Island. With power like that...with an army with that power...we'd be unstoppable."

"I won't let you have the girl either. I'll kill her before I let you have her." Misty clenches her hand again and James begins breathing heavily.

"The girl?" He chokes out. "Why would we be after the girl?"

Misty can feel her eyes widen, though she doesn't know why that would surprise her. She clenches her fist hard and the body drops. Misty has never heard bones break but she is sure the sound that follows is just that. She winces and it ends.

It ends with bones crunching and a body falling.

It ends with breath rattling around heavily in broken lungs.

It ends with laughter dying.

Misty eyes snap open and she chokes for air as her heart runs the Tour de Alto Mare.

She breathes deeply for a few moments as her eyes focus ahead of her on...her sleeping bag in the cot beside her?

What?

She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, slowly exhaling through her nose. She'd fallen asleep in her cot.

She's sure of it. She'd glared at Brock who hadn't said anything and set her sleeping bag up right beside Ash's in the small room they'd been given to sleep in. And then she'd settled Togepi in her bag and fallen asleep.

So she has to be in her sleeping bag.

Right.

Heart slowing, she opens her eyes again and…

No.

That's still her sleeping bag beside her. She's had the same one since she was ten and Daisy had given it to her as a gift before she'd left on her journey. But, there had to be some explanation for this.

There had to be.

But Misty knows she'd fallen asleep in her sleeping bag on her own cot...but had she stayed there? Breathing in deeply and exhaling slowly, Misty pulls the sleeping bag she's in up to cover her shoulders, sighing as she settles into the warm, blue fabric.

Wait…

Blue...like Ash's sleeping bag.

Oh.

She'd woken up from a nightmare. Or really, Arceus, Brock had woken her and they'd fought. About something. And then...Ash had followed her and they'd talked.

She must have fallen asleep outside and Ash had...put her in his cot?

Well, she supposes, his cot is closer to the door. He must just have been tired from carrying her...or something. It probably wasn't worth trying to work out his reasoning, Ash's decisions, though logical from a certain perspective, rarely made sense to Misty without him explaining his thoughts. And even then there were often leaps that she simply accepted as being….well….Ash.

So she had woken up last night with nightmares, but why had she woken up so panicked this morning. And where was Ash and…

She stretches on the cot, tipping her head up so that she can see the third cot in the room and finds it empty.

Brock's missing too.

Her heart speeds up and her breath leaps to her throat.

Where could they be?

Were they hurt?

Missing?

Had something happened to them like...oh, Mew. James! She had….in her dream...

Misty's stomach drops and she can taste panic in her mouth.

The lights flicker.

She sits up and takes several deep breaths.

In and out

The sun must be passing behind clouds.

In and out

It was just a dream.

In

James was just in her dream.

And

She chokes on the out, a sputtering cough that leaves her sure that whatever she'd put in her body the night before was not going to stay down. Of course it's exactly as sitting up, sleeping bag pooling in her lap and trying to catch a breath between coughs that Brock walks in.

He freezes in the doorway, one foot in the room and one out in the hall, and stares. Though Misty can barely see past the tears driven by coughing and her dream, she can see Brock thinking. She can practically hear his brain whirring. And it's funny, in his shoes she's not sure what she would do. On the one hand they can barely talk to each other without fighting, but on the other Brock has always tried to take care of her, and Ash. Brock's mouth sets into a firm line and steps into the room. Caretaking must have won.

"Hey, Misty." Brock walks over to her slowly, hands up as though she might spook like a doduo. "You're up." He's smiling, but it's fake. The might not have traveled together as much as she had with Ash, but she still knows him. And this is not a real smile. No. This is an "I'm pretending everything is alight with the world smile" with splashes of a wry "now what has Ash done" grin. It's weird seeing it directed at her. Misty is so much more used to seeing it out of the corner of her eye as she too tries to work out just what prophecy Ash has stumbled into.

"At least...I think you're up?" Brock asks.

Misty groans in response and Brock sighs.

"Still as charming as ever in the mornings then?"

Misty grumbles and considers lying back down, pulling the blankets over her head and trying to go back to sleep. Maybe she'd dream less in the morning.

Brock takes a deep breath, carefully blowing it out through his mouth with enough force that even his spiky hair moves. "Do you feel any better?"

Misty pulls the blankets up further and turns away. Nightmares are better than this.

Brock sighs again, loudly, and walks slowly towards the cot Misty is on. He sits at the bed's end and Misty looks towards him, blinking back anger.

"Look," Brock says, hands playing along Ash's sleeping bag. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry."

"Where's Ash?" Misty replies, staring over Brock's shoulder. It's a pretty empty room, the one the old woman had let them sleep in. Just the cots and maybe a few shelves of pokémon medication and a desk stacked with some forgotten books and...what looks like badge holders. Though the insignia isn't one she recognizes.

"Talking to Rebecca." Brock replies.

Misty blinks, hard, and swallows, dizzy at the sudden refocusing of her eyes. "Rebecca?"

"She owns the house...I guess her parents were part of the League here."

"League?"

"There was one here...once"

Misty shivers. "Once?"

Brock hums a reply. "Before the war...anyway I' m sorry."

"What for?" Misty asks, sitting up straight as she can in the cot. Her hands slip as she readjusts, ruining the effect, but still she raises an eyebrow threateningly.

It seems to work.

Brock hangs his head and speaks towards the floor. "The way I've treated you...I guess. And Ash. I just….I didn't understand...or try to. I'm sorry. I'll…" He stands up and rubs a hand over his eyes. "I'll go get Ash."

He walks towards the room's door slowly, dragging his feet as though too tired even to lift them. He stops, just in front of the desk and turns around, eyes locking on Misty's own, and smiles sadly. "When did we get like this?" He asks, leaning on the doorframe. "We weren't ever as close as you and Ash but...we used to talk to each other." He shakes his head and turns to leave.

Misty sighs. "I killed someone last night." She says, hands clenched in Ash's sleeping bag. She cringes as Brock inhales sharply. "In my dream anyway."

Brock breathes out in relief and walks back over to the bed, slowly.

Like he's afraid Misty will run.

Or attack.

Or something.

A large tear hits the blanket by Misty's hand and she sniffles, wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand. "I was so scared, Brock."

Brock sits down beside her.

For a few moments, they're quiet. There's no sound beyond breathing and the wind outside the window.

Brock takes a breath, but Misty beats him to the words. "Don't tell me it was just a dream." She rubs at her eyes. "I know it was just a stupid dream. "It sounds childish even to her ears and she can practically hear her foot hit the ground in an imitation of a child's tantrum. She crosses her arms. "It didn't feel like just a dream."

Brock blinks. "Misty," he starts, but stops part of the way through the word and looks up at the ceiling for a few seconds before smiling and looking back at Misty. "When Cindy was really little, she used to have night terrors."

Misty opens her mouth to stop him, tell him that night terrors are nothing like her dreams, but Brock holds up a hand and she quiets, waiting for him to finish.

"It was just me at home with her and all of the other kids and...it didn't matter how many times I told her that they were just dreams or that nothing in them was real. They were real to her. And the more I tried to calm her down, the worse she felt."

"Why?"

"She told me that...she felt like I didn't believe her. Like she was just some stupid kid who couldn't get over a bad dream."

"So...what did you do?" Misty breathes.

Brock shrugs. "Sat up with her while she cried. Stopped telling her it was just a dream. Because it was...just a dream. But that didn't mean it didn't matter. It didn't mean she wasn't allowed to be scared."

"Being scared is a waste of time" Misty scoffs.

Brock shakes his head, "No," he sighs. "Not doing things because you're scared is a waste of time."

Misty breathes in deeply, wipes the last tears and then punches Brock as hard as she can.

"Ow! Misty, what in Arceus's name was that for." He cries, rubbing his arm and flexing his fingers to be sure that he can.

Misty smiles. "Because that's all you've got for me, Brock? That it's ok to be scared?" She shakes her head. "What amazing wisdom, oh Brock-child rearing genius. Next you'll be telling me that my body is going to go through some changes and…" she trails off, eyes widening at what she's just said. "I never said that."

"Agreed." Brock replies, nodding feverently. He takes a deep breath and looks her square in the eyes. "We're ok though?"

Misty nods. "Yeah." She breathes out, a steady stream that pushes her bangs from her face. She does feel better. Somehow. "Thanks," she whispers honestly, looking away from Brock's gaze. "Really. This…helped."

"Anytime."

"So," Misty asks, scratching her nose while trying to think of something, anything to say to break the sudden silence. It's never really awkward silence with Ash, but somehow, with Brock, that's where it always goes. "Do we...know where we are yet?"

"Mist, you're awake!" Ash calls, stepping through the door of the room. Togepi coos happily from his arms between the bites of riceball that Ash offers him. From Ash's shoulder, Pikachu chatters happily to see Misty awake before leaping towards her. Misty has a bare moment to brace before the electric rodent hits her and she tumbles backwards on the bed.

"Good morning, Pikachu." She sighs, coughing mouthfuls of fur. "I'm happy to see you too." At her feet, beyond what Misty can see over Pikachu, the bed shifts. Pikachu darts from her arms and Misty pushes herself, slowly, to sitting. Brock and Ash have traded places. Brock's standing by the desk, glancing through some paper or another that has caught his interest while Ash looks at her with what Misty knows is his worried expression. She coughs, lightly, and he blushes before taking a bite of his riceball.

"You hungry?" He asks, holding it out to her.

Misty starts to shake her head, blanching at the idea but her stomach betrays her with a loud grumble. Togepi giggles at the noise and Misty sighs, leaning forward to take a bite of the food.

"You know," Brock says, never looking up from whatever it is he's examining, "It's traditionally cake that couples share….not rice balls."

Misty is sure that, were she timing, Ash would have set some sort of record with the speed at which his face turns cherri berry red. Though, if she was being honest, he'd probably be competing with her for the title.

"Excuse you," Misty taunts, smirking devilishly. Brock shrinks back against the table without even looking up, the bite in Misty's tone carrying in her words alone. "I will have whatever I damn well please at my wedding."

Ash coughs, face turning colors Misty would never have thought it was possible for a person's face to turn. Taking pity on him, she pats his back until he takes a deep breath.

"And that, Pikachu, is reason number 15 why I won't be caterering Ash and Misty's wedding." Brock sighs. From his perch on Ash's shoulder, Pikachu nods solemnly and offers, what sounds like to Misty, a very conspiratorial _chuu_.

"Oh." Misty and Ash both jump as the old woman's voice-as Rebecca's voice-rings from the door. "Congratulations on your engagement," she says kindly before looking at the two of them critically. "Though...aren't you two a little young to be getting married?"

Misty blinks. For a second it's like everything has frozen. Then Brock starts laughing and Pikachu and Togepi join in. Slowly, Misty looks up at Ash and Arceus, was she ever wrong when she'd thought Ash had set some kind of record with the speed at which his face changed color. Sadly, charmeleon red was not a good look for him. Though her own face feels like it may as well be buried in a rapidash's mane. Feeling she needs to regain control of the situation, Misty opens her mouth to respond, but nothing comes out. She closes it again and looks at Brock helplessly. He doubles over laughing, unable to draw enough breath to help or hurt. Misty groans and falls back against the cot, pulling the sleeping bag with her. "Just kill me now."

Ash falls back in the other direction, pulling his hat over his face. "Me first."

Rebecca places something down on the desk by Brock and asks, confusedly. "Did I say something wrong?"

Misty moans in response causing Brock to begin laughing anew. "No," He sputters out, drawing breath as fast as he can. "They just aren't ready to admit it yet."

Misty, without sitting up, throws her pillow at Brock, knocking him to the floor. He laughs louder and begins to push himself up, only to hit his head on the desk and sit down with a loud thump.

"I surrender." He cries.

Misty laughs. "Good, maybe now we can figure out where we are? And where we're going?"

"That's a good idea, Mist." Ash cheers, sitting up to face her.

Rebecca nods and pulls a map from the desk. She walks over to the cot, glancing briefly at Brock, and spreads it between the teens. "We're here." She points to small hamlet on the map. There's very little immediately nearby beyond a building inscribed with a large R and the forest that they'd already come through. "Where all are you trying to get?"

"The coast." Ash supplies, already beginning to trace a path towards the nearest edge of the not quite region.

Misty watches his hand as it follows the biggest road towards the coast and has to stop herself from screaming out loud when the road crosses what looks like a large city under a day's journey away.

"Ash!" She breathes.

Ash is smiling widely, he's seen it too. "I know. Mist, maybe we can call out!"

"Your mom is dying to hear from you, Ash." Brock agrees, walking to look at the map. "You didn't exactly call her the last time you could."

"We were a little distracted, Brock." Misty scoffs.

"I'll say." Brock leers. Misty rolls her eyes and hits him lightly.

"What do you mean?" Ash asks, puzzled. Pikachu smacks his own face and offers an apologetic _pika_.

"I'll tell you when you're older." Misty and Brock chorus.

Rebecca laughs. "Yeah, there are a few big cities left over from the war. Some can still call out. Which are you looking at?" She peers closer to the map and Misty can see the moment she's able to make out the city's name. Her face goes white and she begins shaking her head. Her Houndour runs into the room and pushes her head under Rebecca's hand, growling at Misty as she does. "No, no, no." She says firmly. "You can't go to Mana Fields."

"Why?" Ash looks up from the map to meet her eyes.

"Them two," Rebecca gestures at Brock and Misty. "Are gym brats."

Misty inhales sharply. Gym brat, that's not a phrase she's heard in a long time.

"We're the children of gym leaders. If that's what you mean." Brock says in a careful tone.

"And former gym leaders." Misty adds. "Why does it matter?"

"Look, most places around here...it doesn't matter that you're League." Rebecca spits the word 'League' like it's something unfit to be wiped off of her shoe. It sounds ominous when she says it, dangerous even.

"We're not," Ash cuts in.

Rebecca glares at him. "No, you're not. They may as well be."

"So then we're League, why is that important?" Brock asks calmly.

Rebecca turns her glare to him. "Because the very idea of a League invites corruption. No trainer living under one can understand how to care for pokémon."

Misty blinks, surprised at the anger coming from someone who had been so nice just the night before. "And you believe that?"

"No." Rebecca smiles. "Not at all. My parents ran the gym here. But they believe it in Mana Fields. It's where our champions used to be."

"Used to be?" Brock asks.

"Well, I suppose some of them still are. Most of the tunnels under Victory Road collapsed during the war."

For a few moments the three of them are silent, the only sounds that break through are the wind and Togepi chirping and Houndour growling.

Misty swallows hard. "We're not from this League though."

Rebecca shrugs. "And that might matter. Or it might not. They do have the best center there. But...if you can camp…"

Brock nods. "We'll try to camp." He walks over and begins packing up his sleeping bag, prompting Ash and Misty to do the same. They work in silence.

It's only after they've waved their farewell to Rebecca and gotten into the forest, just past the house turned center that Ash voices what Misty has been thinking.

"We don't have the supplies to camp, do?"

Brock turns around to face Ash and shakes his head sadly, "No." He replies. "We don't." He keeps walking backwards as he talks, moving forward with the conversation.

Misty spins on her heel so that she too can look at Ash as she asks her next question with a groan while still moving. "So we go to the city then?" She doesn't stop as she talks. They don't have time to stop if they want to reach the city before dark.

"Yup." Brock answers, pushing into a clearing.

Ash opens his mouth to say something, but whatever it is swallowed by a gasp.

"Ash?" Brock asks, stopping in his tracks to blink at the younger boy.

Ash says nothing in reply but instead raises a shaking finger to point ahead of him on the path, leaving Pikachu to explain with an almost frightened _kaaa_.

"Wha...:" Brock starts, but whatever he is going to say is cut short by a low, wet, laugh.

Slowly, Misty turns her head to the sound but...it's like a puzzle. All the sound drains from the world as she takes in the pieces and tries to fit them together. But it's like nonsense-a tree, rope, pale skin, blood, a bright red 'R', magenta hair-there's nothing there. Until suddenly there is...it's Jessie. She's strung up on a tree beside the road, bruised and beaten and bloody. Her uniform is more rust colored than white. If it weren't for the hair...Misty would never have known. There's a roaring in her ears and suddenly...there's sound in the world again. But it's not the sounds of a forest in late afternoon, no. It's a wet laugh and Brock puking beside her and Ash swallowing loudly. It's Pikachu on her shoulder, chattering at Togepi with a strained _pii_ and Togepi cooing back. Its Misty herself, breathing deeply as her world spins.

"Well, if it isn't the twerps." Jessie laughs. It's a wet sound, like a muk slinking across the cobblestoned paths of Celadon's gardens. It drips and rattles and sounds...just...wrong.

Misty winces. "We have to get her down."

"Oh," Jessie laughs again, a giggle slipping through ruined lips.

Misty fights back a shiver. James had looked like this, in her dream. He'd been beaten and bruised and now Jessie. Misty swallows hard.

"It's too late for me." Jessie warbles, carrying on the "e" like a child singing. Togepi chirps in time with her voice. "Too late for you." The "oo" of "you" is extended too, dragging on like the chorus of a song Misty's never heard.

Jessie's eyes are glazed over, staring blankly ahead at the forest. Despite the relative warmth of the forest around her, Misty shivers.

"What is she talking about?" Ash asks.

"She's delirious, "Brock shrugs "I doubt even _she_ knows what she's saying." He cups his hands to his mouth to call up the tree, "Jessie! We're going to help you."

Jessie's head lolls and she laughs thickly, "don't bother. You can't save me..," Blankly her eyes roam, unseeing until they lock on Misty's and she smirks, a cruel twist of shredded lips. "All of us die in the end."

Misty shudders-James had said that, in her dream. She swallows at the memory, a deep gulping breath, and shivers, her teeth clatter like an ekans tail. Brock glances over at her, an eyebrow raised but swallows whatever it is he wants to say. Ash looks between them and sighs, before walking over and handing Misty his jacket. Misty starts to protest but Ash ignores her and takes Togepi to place in Misty's bag.

"How do we get her down?" Ash questions, replacing Misty's bag over his jacket.

Misty shrugs, easing into the large jacket that feels too familiar to be Ash's and not her own. Arceus, she's worn it so much lately it may as well be.

"There's always more..." Jessie rambles, head rolling forward. She spits out a bitter laugh that trails into a cackle. "More of me. More of them. More of us. They can always make more…"

"Them?" Brock asks quietly, looking around. "Who's...wait...where's James?"

Misty shrugs, looking around them in a circle. They're nowhere. Which is weird. And wrong. Jessie is never alone. She always has James and...

"What about Meowth?" Ash adds quietly, reading Misty's thoughts.

Brock spins in a circle and, seeing no signs of the rest of the team, cups his hands to shout up at the tree. Jessie doesn't let him, coughing a rattling breath that cuts off Brock's query.

"Always more of us." Jessie giggles once the cough ends. She sags in the ropes binding her, finally quieting for a moment while she takes a pained breath. They need to get her down.

Brock cups his hands to his mouth when her breath ends but is no more successful in this second question as Jessie yet again cuts him off to ramble a laughing, "There'll be more of you too soon. An army!" Jessie's eyes roll wildly in her head before once again finding Misty.

Misty shivers and Pikachu runs over to her, sparking by her feet.

"Definitely delirious," Brock clucks, shaking his head. "Jessie, stop. You're making it worse." Brock turns his back to the tree to face Ash and Misty. "Do either of you have a knife?"

Together they shake their heads.

Jessie laughs wildly, breath rattling between every sound. "He messed up," she coughs, spraying the ground beneath the tree with a heavy sludge of blood and spit. "Mew did he mess up."

"Who messed up? James" Brock sighs.

"We just wanted the boy but we know about her now. We saw the tapes from New Island. We know what she can do."

"What who can do?" Brock asks over his shoulder as he searches his pack.

"And now we're going to get you both." Jessie continues tonally. Togepi trills along with her, a child repeating a rhyme.

Misty shivers and Pikachu rubs against her leg. Absentmindedly she scratches him, still watching Jessie. "What will you do when you get them?"

Jessie laughs, a faint sound against her straining breath. "We'll make more. Two by two, an army marching to destroy you," she croaks.

Ash dumps out his bag, frantically searching for something to bring Jessie down, but there's nothing. He shrugs and repacks his things.

"Ash, what are you doing?" Misty asks.

"Trying to find something to cut Jessie down?"

"And it's all because he messed up. " She practically spits out the word 'he' spraying blood down the tree at them to join an already worryingly large pool.

"We'll get you help." Brock replies through gritted teeth. "Ash, Misty. Do you two see any rocks? Maybe there's one sharp enough."

Jessie just laughs again, cruelly, the giggles backed by a deep wheezing that sounds painful. "We know about the girl and he can't protect her." She breathes deeply, eyes still following Misty while somehow remaining blank and unfocused. "It's all his fault." Jessie laughs again, deep wheezing noises that end in wet heaves but Misty can't shake the feeling that Jessie is finding this somehow hilarious. Like she and James and Meowth will laugh about this later.

Misty cringes, if they could just get her down...maybe….maybe it would all stop. But they need something to cut the ropes...and some way to reach them...maybe a poke-Arceus, they're being stupid. Misty's eyes widen. "Pikachu." She says. Ash and Brock don't even notice while search for rocks and sharp sticks. Misty rolls her eyes as Pikachu jumps to attention. "Swift." She says. Pikachu nods and, with a determined _Pika_ , star shaped rays shoot towards the ropes at Jessie's arms and feet and she falls. "Shit." Misty shouts, inhaling sharply.

Brock's head whips up and he calls Onix to catch Jessie before Misty even has time to come with a plan. "Good thinking." He quips.

Misty drops to her knees, exhaling in a steady stream.

Ash steps over from his search and absentmindedly pats her head. "Is Jessie ok?" He asks.

Jessie coughs wetly as though in response, her breath trailing off into a painful rattle. Misty's body stiffens, she's heard that rattle before in Cerulean when pulling people from the ocean. It's not a good sound. It's the sound of water in lungs and an ambulance and a funeral. Jessie's breath rattles and chokes as Onix places her on the forest floor. She breathes once more, a low moaning sound escaping with the heavy breath, and then stops.

For a few seconds the forest is silent until Brock walks over to Jessie and leans down. Misty squeezes her eyes shut and turns away, knowing what's coming. Brock's fast footsteps back towards her and Ash only confirm what Misty is sure of. Jessie is dead. They were too late.

"Now what?" Misty asks quietly.

"Is she ok?" Ash asks again.

Brock opens his mouth to say something, but shuts it again just as quickly, like a magikarp floundering.

Ash's eye widen and he breathes deeply, Pikachu huddles into Misty. "We can't just leave her." Ash says, panic coloring his voice.

Misty pats his leg comfortingly. "No, of course not." She says, soothingly, biting back the thought that, were she alone, Misty would do just that. "Brock?" She looks up at the older boy who nods his head towards her. "Can Onix dig a hole?"

Brock nods. Without turning around he whispers the command to Onix.

At the sound of Onix scraping against the dirt, Ash leans into Misty and she strokes his hair. Brock kneels beside Misty and the three of them wait in stunned silence as Onix carves a grave from the dirt.

Misty winces each time Onix pulls a mouthful of soil, muscles sore from an eternity of clenching and releasing. It's the first time Misty can ever recall thinking of Onix's digging as slow

Once the hole is dug, the three trainers force themselves back into motion. They don't speak as they bury Jessie and once it's done, they brush their hands and legs in numb silence.

The silence is only broken when Ash starts moving again, slowly spinning in a circle and staring at the forest around them.

Before Misty can ask what he's doing, he steps off to grab a large flat stone which he places on top of the grave like a headstone.

"James will want to know where to find her." He says it with certainty in his voice, though it's a certainty undercut by a quick glance to Misty. She's not sure why Ash feels he needs her permission, it's a good idea, or at least it will give him peace.

Misty nods silently and bows her head, before straightening up and continuing down the road, the light fading behind her.

They can't stop now if they're going to reach Mana Fields by dark.

It will be better there.

It has to be.


	11. Chosen

A/N: So…this chapter is way late…and more than double my normal chapter length….and still does not accomplish everything it was supposed to…so…you all get a bonus chapter and I get to weep into my couch for this thing still not being done...also thank you ffn for failing to allow me to use any unconventional formatting for storytelling purposes...it is super appreciated

Chosen

It's dark by the time they reach the edge of the forest. Misty isn't sure why she knows it's the forests edge but as soon as she has the thought, she knows she's right. The trees are sparser and the leaves that have been crunching underfoot, have been gone for a few minutes. It's darker somehow, though the trees have thinned to just a slim line of pines. And quiet. Quieter than it has ever been in Strayanthe. Quiet enough that with them walking and talking and joking, Misty almost feels like they're back in Kanto or Johto. Like nothing in Strayanthe happened and they're just walking to the next gym on Ash's never ending quest to be a master; the pokémon master. It's quiet enough that when Ash trips and falls into a ditch, Misty's first reaction is to stop and scan the darkened tree line in search of Jessie and James, sure that Team Rocket is seconds away from bursting out with their motto.

Except.

Except Brock is running to make sure that Ash is ok.

And Pikachu is chattering up a panicked storm.

And Jessie won't ever jump out of the trees again.

Suddenly, despite the chill of the night, Misty feels hot and her head spins.

Staggering forward on her feet, Misty clutches one of the slim pine trees and dizzily falls to her knees. Togepi wines in her arm, calling Pikachu or Brock in an alarmed squeal, but Misty hardly hears it through the dim static in her head. Vaguely she hears Brock asking if she's ok and Ash making some joke about her needing to claim all of the attention.

But it's distant.

A buzz in the dark.

She leans her head against a tree, relief pouring in with the cool bark, and looks through the pines.

And gasps.

It's a city.

Or….

…the ruins of one anyway.

Though...here and there...scattered among crumbled buildings and muddy streets….there are abandoned shoes and clothes lines and toys.

People live here.

Or did anyway.

Or do?

Swallowing the cool air, Misty glances around.

There are still people here. She's sure of it. It's written clearly in the lights that flicker off as her eyes pass them. It's sung in the shadows that flit about just around corners and out of site. It's painted in the distant smells of dinners and stews wafting in the faint breeze.

A hand touches her shoulder and Misty's head whips up to find Ash standing above her, with Brock beside him.

"You ok?" Ash whispers.

"Could ask you the same thing." Misty replies, meeting his eyes evenly.

"I'm ok." Ash nods and Misty hums back, the two of them sharing a quiet smile.

A smile that Brock breaks with a sharp gasp.

"Misty," Brock squeaks, alarmed enough that Togepi trills a cry in response to his tone. "It's The League Village."

"You're crazy, Brock." Ash laughs back, while Misty follows Brock's gaze.

"Arceus." Misty breathes, bouncing Togepi on her knee. "It is...or was."

And if it weren't for the burned out buildings and charred scars or pokémon fights long since won or lost...it could be the League Village. Or...a good copy anyway. Misty's not sure why she's only seeing it now, but as soon as Brock had said the words, the image had crystallized as though Misty had been peering through a haze of confusion that finally cleared. If she squints, it's all there. The League buildings and hotels for traveling trainers and shops; everything in the exact same places as the Village just outside of the Indigo Plateau.

But dirty.

And broken.

And spent.

If Misty hadn't spent as much time in the Village as she had as a child, she's not sure that she would recognize the city below as a burned out copy. But….it shouldn't be...can't be. Every League has their own Village and they all look different. Knowing the Kanto League village hadn't helped them find their way around the Johto Village any more than Brock's knowledge of rock pokémon would have helped him navigate Misty's gym. And yet.

Yet.

This Village? It is the Kanto Village. Or was anyway.

"What?" Ash shouts causing Togepi to begin crying anew. "This doesn't look anything like Indigo Plateau"

Misty sighs, rocking Togepi as she turns from the city below towards Ash. He probably had only seen The League Village once, when he'd been competing. Though...it was possible that he'd visited with his school in his trainer prep program-Misty had heard tell of those groups walking through. Still, Ash had been in the League over two years ago. There's no way he'd know The Village as well as Misty and Brock.

"Not the Plateau, Ash." Misty says, shaking her head. "The village outside it."

"Yeah." Brock agrees, not looking back from the city to speak. "Don't you remember? The rooms that we stayed in when you competed? They weren't on the Plateau."

Ash shakes his head, Pikachu _chuu_ ing softly on his shoulder as he does. "Yeah but, the Village didn't have those." He replies, pointing.

"Well it's not..." Misty starts, trailing off as she follows his hand up to an 'R' sprayed in red paint larger than a gyarados on the nearest building. "Mew."

"So...what do we do?" Ash asks.

In the end, it's Brock who has a plan, though...not one that fills Misty with confidence. There are 'R's everywhere and they can't be caught. But they can't leave either; they're completely out of supplies and can't make it to the next town on the map. They need this pokémon center...but...it has to be impartial. After all, pokémon centers are places of healing.

Its logic Misty agrees with but….Brock's plan of: "We just have to get to the pokémon center and pick up supplies and then….get back out of the city." Leaves a lot to be….improvised.

"And just how do we do that?" Misty asks, sighing.

Brock shrugs. "We know the way...so….you go down the main roads and I'll take the back paths?"

"What about me?" Ash asks, Pikachu _kaa_ ing on his shoulder,

Misty blinks. "Go with Brock."

Brock shakes his head. "Too dangerous, go with Misty."

"I can take care of myself." Misty hisses.

"I know you can, Misty" Brock starts, but Ash cuts him off, placing a hand on Misty's shoulder.

"You don't look like you can though."

"Fine." Misty sighs. "But anyone stops us, you know I'm going to fight."

"Wouldn't have it any other way."

Brock looks between the two of them, Ash's hand on Misty's shoulder as she looks up at him and laughs. "You don't have to worry, guys. No one would question such an adorable couple."

"But what's going to stop people from questioning you?" Misty smirks.

Brock stops laughing.

A minute later they part ways. Misty stifles a laugh watching Brock walk unsteadily down the back pathways, ambling towards the pokémon center with all the grace of a wobbuffet. She hadn't thought he could, but watching him now-he definitely passes for drunk. Which is surprising really, given that Misty is fairly certain that he's never been drunk. Then again, Misty hasn't seen anyone overindulge outside of screen and cautionary tales. She sighs, turning to Ash and finds herself smiling again at his confused face as he watches Brock totter away. Maybe, when they get out of here, the three of them should find somewhere to share a drink.

At least...maybe when they're legal.

Once Brock is out of sight Misty sighs once more, and tucks herself against Ash's arm to lead him down the main roads. She's planning on sticking to the lights and paths because the shadows will only draw more eyes. But Ash tenses up the moment she lays her head on his shoulder.

"Come on, Ash." Misty groans, stepping away so that she can see Ash's face.

"What?" he whines back, tone pitched high enough that Togepi, asleep in Misty's bag, whimpers in his sleep.

Misty shoots Ash a harsh look and shifts her bag slightly, quieting the sleeping pokémon. "What do you mean, what? You tensed up the second I touched you. That won't work."

"I did not."

Misty raises an eyebrow at him while Pikachu disagrees with a sarcastic _chuu_.

Ash raises the hand not attached to Misty in defeat. "Fine. But it's weird."

"What's weird?"

"This." He gestures to their hands, clasped together when Misty had stepped apart.

"We've held hands before?"

"Yeah but…"

"And you basically carried me earlier this week."

"You were hurt." Ash offers, weakly.

"OK." Misty sighs. "We've shared a bed pretty much every night for the last, I don't know, 3 months?"

"But that's different." Ash huffs, beginning to walk away.

Misty stays still, rooted in her steps even as Ash tugs on her arm. "That's the wrong way." She whispers, head titled in thought. "How is it different?"

Ash stops, hand still in Misty's but refusing to turn around. He takes a deep breath and slowly exhales, shoulders dropping with his breath. "It just...is."

"But how?"

"I don't know." He shouts.

Misty opens her mouth to tell him to quiet down, but shuts it again as someone passes them by. Her whole body tenses and Ash tugs her closer, pulling her until she's practically cuddled into his side. The person passes, not even sparing them a look and Misty relaxes, sighing into Ash only to tense up again, seconds later, when he shrugs her away.

She staggers, movement jostling Togepi enough that he cries leaving Misty no choice but to take her hands back to rock the baby pokémon back to sleep. Throughout the entire ordeal, Ash is silent, watching until Togepi begins snoring slightly.

Replacing Togepi in her bag, Misty looks up at Ash and sighs.

"We should start moving." Misty says into the quiet.

Ash nods and holds out his hand.

Misty stares at it for a moment, hands plastered at her side. "It's just pretend." She says, voice barely above a whisper.

"What if…" Ash begins, only to trail off with widening eyes. Wordlessly, he reaches out to Misty and takes her hand.

Surprised at the sudden gesture, Misty flushes only to tense when an old voice beside her intones, "What a sweet couple."

Ash cuddles her closer, hiding the sudden set of her shoulder and smiles over her head at the stranger.

"Don't let go of her dear, we all need somebody to love these days."

"Wouldn't dream of it." Ash replies.

The passerby smiles at them again, pats them on their heads and walks on down the street.

Misty pushes herself away as soon as she can no longer hear footsteps. "What if, what?" she asks, angrily.

Ash turns away and swallows hard. He opens his mouth and shuts it several times until Pikachu smacks his head with his tail and lets loose a string of chatter.

Misty rocks back on her feet to watch the exchange. Finally, Ash swats Pikachu back and whispers something under his breath at the rodent before smiling nervously at Misty.

"What if…I don't want it to be pretend?"

Misty opens her mouth to reply, but shuts it again almost immediately after as someone else passes by. She leans into Ash, clutching his arm in hers and the two stroll on until the nearest person is well out of view.

"Then…it doesn't have to be pretend." Misty whispers, laying her head against Ash's arm. "Is this ok?"

Numbly, Ash nods. "Yeah."

But his voice sounds…off…nervous maybe. Misty shakes her head and sighs. "Should we talk about this?"

Against her head, Ash nods. "Probably." But anything else he might have said is lost to another late night wanderer passing by.

Misty is practically growling in frustration when they pass, tired of constantly tensing up and leaning awkwardly close to Ash. They need to talk about this, but now? Now is definitely not the time. "Let's try this conversation again when we get home?"

"Looking forward to it." Ash whispers, throwing his arms around Misty as another person passes by.

It's a ten minute walk but it drags for months. Misty tenses each time they pass someone. But one she and Ash stop talking, no one pays them any mind. Each person passing just draws his or her coat up tighter and pushes past them without even a glance. Still, when they reach the center and find Brock waiting, Misty breathes out in relief.

A sigh Ash echoes beside her.

"What took you so long?" Brock asks, smirking.

"Why aren't you inside?" Misty replies.

Brock doesn't answer but instead, gesture to the center behind him. It's dark. Very dark, almost impossible to see in the shadows of the large buildings that it's sandwiched between. Peering in, Misty can't even see the light of computer.

Stranger still, is the fact that the center is empty-something that would never happen in the Village in Kanto. It was always full to bursting with trainers waiting for a chance at the League or visiting for training or conferences or exhibition matches. Most worrying though isn't the dark hall or empty rooms, but the red 'R' dripping over the League symbol.

Brock swallows hard and in the quiet of the street it's an achingly loud sound.

"So what do we do?" He asks.

Misty shrugs, she doesn't know. There are 'R's everywhere, it may mean nothing. Or it may be bad.

Though, they don't know that Team Rocket is after them as an organization. It may be just Jessie and James.

Or.

Well.

Just James.

Misty sways on her feet and Ash catches her, holding an arm out while watching the door. He never even glances at her as she clutches his arm for stability.

"OK?" He mouths. And Misty is close enough that she can almost feel the question against her skin.

She nods, taking a deep breath. "We should try the door."

Brock and Ash both nod but neither moves. Misty sighs. "On the count of three?" She asks.

"One." Brock starts.

"Two." Ash joins, putting his hand forward.

"Three." Misty reaches to the door only to recoil the second her hand touches the metal. Her arm shakes, numb like it's been stung by 1000 beedrill. She looks up and finds both boys are staring at the door with confused looks.

"I couldn't touch it." Brock says, reaching forward again. His hand stops inches from the door as though blocked by some invisible wall.

"Me either," Ash says, scratching his nose.

"Yeah." Misty agrees, scrubbing her palm against her jeans to get rid of the lingering feeling or stinging cold.

Ash looks at her, an eyebrow raised in a look Misty has come to know means that something has confused him. Misty cringes, waiting for him to speak up, but he says nothing about her lie. Instead he turns to Brock and asks, "So now what?"

Brock shrugs. "We still need supplies."

"So is there another center?"

Brock shakes his head but Misty's eyes widen. He blinks at her. "What did you think of?"

"There's not another center in the city." She says

Brock smiles. "But there is one just past Victory Road! Misty, you're a genius."

Misty ducks her head and blushes.

"Of course she is." Ash states, patting her arm and taking off down the street.

"Where are you going?" Misty asks, laughing.

"Victory road!" He replies.

"It's the other way, Ketchum." Misty scoffs, pointing down the street Brock and Pikachu have already started down.

"Do we have to go a different way?" Ash asks.

"They're already pretty far ahead, we'll probably be ok to follow."

It's a short walk that leaves Ash, Misty and Brock staring up at the cavernous tunnel that leads to Victory road. It's crumbling, like everything else here, and covered with the Team Rocket themed graffiti that has decorated every blank wall. But it is unmistakably the entrance to this regions Victory Road.

And dark.

"Wow." Ash whispers.

"Yeah." Brock replies, whistling as he cranes his neck up and up and up to look at the top of the tunnel.

Misty breathes out forcefully, "so, in?" She asks.

Ash nods slowly and steps forward, Pikachu following on his heels.

It's dark in the tunnel but it only takes a few moments for Misty's eyes to adjust.

There are footsteps in the dust, and abandoned toys and...pokeballs?

Up ahead, at the edge of Misty's vision, there's a dull red light and a clanging sound like something metal being thrown against rock.

And then a loud rush of air like vines speeding past.

"Duck." Misty screams, throwing herself to the ground. But Ash and Brock don't hear in time to dodge the long vines that swing from the dark.

"Who's there?" A male voice demands from the dark.

"Ash..." he begins only to be stopped by what Misty assumes is Pikachu slapping his tail against his trainers' mouth.

"That depends." Misty says, placing Togepi into her bag and retrieving Staryu's pokeball. "Who are you?"

"We asked first!" A young girl's voice whines.

There's mumbling then, and shouting Misty can't make out before the loud sound of footsteps stomping away. Under the cover of the noise Misty calls Staryu and directs the star shaped pokémon to free Ash and Brock.

"Hey." The male voice calls again when his pokémon's vines retract.

"I'll ask again." Misty says, voice slipping into the cadence she uses when battling. "Who are you?"

"You first." The voice responds firmly, and the vines return with his demand.

"Staryu!" Misty screams.

Ash's cry of "Pikachu!" Isn't far behind.

It's a dazzling display, a beam of water surrounding by sparkling electricity that lights up the cave-and the person or people they're fighting.

It's a group of them, mostly older adults with a few younger children and teens scattered between them.

And they're dirty, huddling around a few fire pokémon in old clothing and rags.

And not a Team Rocket R between them.

"Stop!" Misty screams, holding up her b\hands as she does. Staryu and Pikachu halt immediately, the water falling to the cave floor. "We're not Team Rocket. We're Trainers. From Kanto. And Gym Leaders."

"Gym leaders?" Another voice says. The woman speaking sounds hostile and angry, like she doesn't quite believe what she's been told.

"Prove it." Another voice cries in the dark.

"I have my Gym ID" Misty replies. "I'm Misty Waterflower, from Cerulean City."

"We should string shot them." A young voice calls, whispering loudly.

"No, we should check her ID. Charmander!" And suddenly, there's light.

Misty takes Ash's pokedex and Brock's ID and her own and walks forward. A few of the older adults look them over critically before smiling widely.

"It's nice to meet you Ms. Waterflower." One of the men says, handing back their IDs. He's old, bent over with age, and his skin is straked with wrinkles and dirt. Still, when he smiles, it's bright and friendly. "I'm Jackson. Welcome to the last of the Strayanthe League."

"How are you the last of the League?" Ash asks, returning his pokedex to his jacket pocket.

The adults look at each other quietly before one steps out.

"Team Rocket." One of the men spits.

"Hey now," another cuts in, clutching his shoulder, "It wasn't just Team Rocket. Our own people wanted us gone."

Jackson nods. "It's true. But they want us back now."

"How are you so sure?" Misty asks.

"I was Elite Four, I know things." Jackson replies, looking away.

"You were?" Brock asks.

One of the women nods. "He was. He is. He's the last one left."

"Why are you three here? You're a long way from Kanto." Jackson asks.

"Did the Kanto League finally send help?" one of the women asks. She walks closer to them, and looks them each over in turn. "And three teenagers was all they could spare after all this time?"

"Liza," another of the women says, laughing. "Be reasonable. Kanto clearly had to wait for these three to be born before sending help."

Misty sighs and shakes her head sadly. "We got stuck here on our way to Hoenn."

"Stuck?" One of the younger trainers asks. "Arceus, there's a fucking ferry. How dumb do you have to be to try to get to Hoenn through here?"

"Not dumb." Brock replies, clapping Ash and Misty on their shoulders. "Just drunk on teenage invincibility."

"Say's the rocks-for-brains who followed us." Misty huffs under her breath.

Ash laughs at her words and Misty nearly jumps at the suddenness of it.

Jackson shakes his head at their antics and, turning to Brock, very seriously asks, "Do you need a way out?"

Misty catches Brock's eyes and for a moment, isn't sure what he's going to say. They do have a way out, but Misty doesn't know if they can take anyone with them. And if these people are looking for an escape….they may not be able to help.

"No." Brock says, uneasily. "We have a ride if we can get to the coast."

"You should come with us!" Ash shouts, excitedly. On his shoulder Pikachu agrees, jubilantly offering a _pika_ of support.

Brock and Misty share another look, neither sure how to rescind Ash's invitation when Jackson cuts in.

"That's a kind offer. But this is our home. We can't leave it until it's set back to right." everyone in the cave nods along with him, some adding assenting grunts.

Ash nods as though he'd understood everything Jackson had said and swallows hard.

"How can we help?" He asks, determinedly turning his hat backwards.

"Ash," Brock says, shaking his head.

"Brock." Ash replies in the same tone, Misty lifts a hand to hide her smile. "We have to help them. If we can. Right, Misty?"

Misty nods and Brock sighs, shaking his head as he does, "I can't win with you both against me. OK, how do we help?"

The collected adults look at each other in surprise but it's one of the children who speaks up. "Why would you want to help us?"

"We're trainers." Ash replies easily. "We have to help each other."

"We're out of supplies," Jackson says finally, shaking his head. "And none of us can get past the barrier on the center door."

Misty swallows quietly and looks away, arm clenching with a sudden chill. She had touched the door. She could have opened it. Out of the corner of her eye, Misty sees Ash look towards her and then, catching her eye, look away.

So he had seen.

"What about…" Brock starts shakily. He stops and swallows before finishing in a stronger tone. "In Kanto, there's a center just past Victory Road."

"Don't you think we'd have tried that by now if it existed?" One of the younger trainers scoffs. She's older than Ash and Misty, possibly Brock as well. But not old enough to have lived in the region when the League was still in control.

"Hush, Mari." An older man replies, patting her shoulder. "He's not wrong. There was a center just after the Road. It's blocked off now."

Misty takes a deep breath and exhales slowly, the stream of air batting her bangs. "So your only hope for getting supplies is raiding the center?"

The remaining trainers of the Strayanthe region nod numbly and Misty sighs.

"OK." She starts, her heart beating faster than it had the last time Pikachu had shocked her. She opens her mouth to let the trainers know that she can help but Ash grabs her arm and pulls her off to the side. He doesn't let go of her arm until he dragged her to a far corner or the ruined Road, far away from the eyes of the people who'd been hiding them. Dimly, as Ash pulls her away, Misty can hear Brock making some sort of an excuse, but his whispered voice is too quiet to make out

"Now's really not the time for that conversation, Ash." Misty says, smirking. Her grin fades when she catches sight of Ash's face. His mouth is set in a grim line and his eyebrows are drawn, whatever he's going to bring up; he's absolutely serious about it.

"You don't have to do this, Mist." Ash breathes. Pikachu, on his shoulders, concurs with a quiet _chuu_.

Misty smiles, stretching her mouth as wide as she can. It's fake, but maybe Ash won't spot it. "What do you mean?"

Ash shakes his head and laughs, almost bitterly. "Really, Misty? You don't know what I mean?"

"Misty?" Misty mouths, shocked at hearing her full name and so bitterly. "No, Ketchum…" She begins, trailing off at the sad look in Ash's eyes. He's seen. He knows….though...what exactly? That she can reach through some sort of barrier? So what, Ash has been the chosen one at least once in her memory. Being unaffected by a barrier is definitely less weird than that. "Ok."

"OK?"

"Ok." Misty nods, firmly. "I could touch the door."

"I know. It doesn't mean you have to do this. There'll be another way." He reaches forward, places a hand on her shoulder.

Misty shakes her head, and grips his arm with her own. "You don't know that."

"I believe it."

"Ash," Misty hisses through closed teeth. "I have watched you do so much worse than sneak across a city at night to get to a pokémon center. I will be fine."

"What have you watched me do that's worse?" Ash whispers, pulling his arm back.

Misty blinks. "I have literally resuscitated you."

"That was one time." Ash spits, throwing up his arms. Pikachu, annoyed at being jostled, sparks and Ash sighs. "Name another."

"The day we met you were being chased by a flock of fearow."

"It was spearow actually." Ash chuckles, scratching his nose.

Misty huffs a soft giggle. "Point remains. Why are you so against this?"

Ash bites his lip and looks away, refusing to meet Misty's eyes. "You might not come back.

Suddenly, despite the cold of the cave covering Victory Road, Misty burns hotter than a magmar. He's worried she won't come back? Really, how many times had she wondered the same thing before he'd gone off to do something remarkably stupid and stupidly brave. She giggles once and then, like a haunter with a prank, can't stop. Through her tears she can vaguely see Ash's face glow brighter than a cherri berry. He purses his lips and stomps and finally shakes her. The laughs peter out to hiccups.

"You didn't have to laugh at me." He scowls.

Misty swallows hard, fighting a fresh wave of laughter. "It's not…" she hiccups and wipes her eyes. "I'm not laughing at you, Ash. It's just…" deep breath. "Of course I'm going to come back."

"You can't know that."

"I do though." Misty replies.

"That's not…"

"Ash, I'm going to come back. Someone has to keep that ego of yours in check." She jokes, like they have millions of times before. She smiles at Ash, waiting for him to swat at her with his hat like he always does.

Her smile falters.

Ash looks away, ducking the brim of his hat so that it covers his eyes. "Ash?"

He doesn't move, face turned resolutely away from hers.

Misty sighs, in exasperation and turns his face back to hers. "Give me your jacket."

Ash blinks at her sudden request, eyes widening in shock. "What?"

"Look." Misty says, digging Togepi out of her bag. "You give me your jacket and I give you Togepi. Now I have to come back. Easy, right?"

Ash nods, taking Togepi into his arms and settles his jacket around Misty. "Yeah." He swallows, hard. "Easy."

Misty smiles and leans forward to bump his forehead with her own. "Hey, I'm Misty Waterflower. There is no way Team Rocket can take me down."

Ash breathes out slowly and then smiles, brightly, huffing a laugh as he does. "Your mallet alone should scare them away."

"Damn straight." Misty laughs.

They walk back to the group together and if Brock raises his eyes at Misty's attire or Ash's new companion, he says nothing.

"So." Misty starts, looking at the rag tag group of assembled trainers. "I can get into the pokémon center."

Half an hour of arguing and disbelief later, Misty finds herself standing in front of the Rocket covered, pokémon center door. She takes a deep breath and, in the weird silence of the city at night, steels herself to touch the door. The second her hand makes contact, that stinging is back. Ice sharp needles dig into her arm through her hand and freeze her shoulder as she pushes through.

It's gone as soon as she enters.

The lights in the center flicker on, though not all of them. It could just be the late hour, but Misty doesn't think so. In the gym, at night, when they'd been trying to save money Misty's family had sometimes turned lights off excepting on common pathways. But here, here it's haphazard, which lights are on and off. There's a light off over the main desk but one on in a corner with nothing but a seat.

Still it smells clean. There must be someone here...or at least...something that can help.

Patting Ash's pockets to find anything that might help, Misty can't help but groan when she finds a flashlight. Light in hand, she steps into the dim center. The floor creaks beneath her. Misty swallows a squeak and looks around carefully, nothing jumps out. There's no cruel laughter.

Nothing.

Sighing, she sweeps the light through the room and nearly jumps into the air when the beam lights on a smiling face with red hair.

"Hi, welcome to the pokémon center. We heal your pokémon to perfect he...who are you?" The Joy says, hands clasped in front of her familiar nurses uniform.

Only.

Only, it's not familiar. The sigh of relief Misty had been heaving, sticks in her throat like a cloyster.

This isn't Nurse Joy.

Her uniform is red. For a start, instead of the pink it always is back home. And there's no cross.

No.

Instead, there's a bright red R emblazed on her hat and apron.

And...It's not a Joy. No. Though the woman in front of her has red hair in the same braided loops that Nurse Joy has through Kanto and Johto, Misty is sure that the woman in the uniform is not Joy.

"I said, who are you?" The nurse repeats again and Misty swallows hard. The voice is what really gives her away. This woman is definitely not Joy. No,the voice is too cruel.

Too mocking.

In fact, if that voice were to laugh and demand Pikachu it could almost be...Misty gasps.

It's Jessie.

But that's…

"Miss, either identify yourself or leave the center. We are well past curfew and I'll be forced to summon the guards."

"Uhh," Misty starts, eloquently. She knows she needs to say something else, anything else. But...what can she say. The woman she's talking to had died only a few hours ago. Misty had buried her.

"You do look familiar." The nurse says, glancing Misty over.

Misty blinks. Familiar? She looks familiar? How could Jessie not recognize her?

"And that orange hair…" The nurse continues, talking to herself. She glances over to her desk and her eyes widen. Cringing, Misty follows her eyes and finds herself face to face with a wanted posted bearing her own image.

"Arceus damn it." Misty hisses under her breath, tears beginning to prick at her eyes. The nurse stops mid sprint to her desk and the videophone beside it, to stare at MIsty, almost unsure as to what she should do.

Misty blinks and the nurse shakes her head as though flustered before spinning on her heel once more.

The temperature drops and Misty shivers, pulling Ash's jacket closer to her body. In his pocket, the pokedex blinks, picking up the trace of some pokémon or another. The nurse pauses at the desk, flexing her fingers as though trying to get them to move enough to call for help. Misty opens her mouth to plead with the nurse again but the words freeze in throat. Like jumping into the frozen cape, her whole body locks up. The nurse topples and Misty can't even call out.

"Stop." Misty snarls, the word coughing out amidst frozen air. The lights flicker and burst around her but slowly the temperature rises.

In the dim light of the blinking pokedex, Misty blinks.

"What the…" She whispers, her knees begin to buckle but they straighten just as suddenly when a slow clap emanates from a corner of the room. Slowly, Misty straightens her body, squaring her shoulders for a fight. Eyes fixed on the sound, she cracks her knuckles and forces her hands into tight fists. "Who's there?" She calls to the dark, defiantly.

The old man glides out, clapping as he moves smoothly from the corner. His mouth is still stained purple and his hair practically trails behind him in a ratty ponyta-tail.

"Good show," he says in a voice that is somehow booming and whining at once. "I'm almost proud of you, Misty."

"How do you know my name?" Misty asks, eyes darting between him and the fallen nurse. She reaches a hand towards her pocket and Staryu's pokeball.

"Oh, I wouldn't do that." The old man says, glaring at her with eerily purple eyes. Misty's hand stops on the way to her pocket and curls back into a fist. Maybe she can distract him? She opens her mouth to speak but the old man cuts her off, laughing.

"I know plenty about you." He chuckles, stopping just inside the faint light of the pokedex. "After all, who else do you think sent your sisters on that trip? Or whipped up the storm that kept you and that boy from the ferry-although I really thought that you'd go back to Cerulean after that one."

Misty shifts her stance, ready to kick or run-she's not sure. "What does my sister's trip...or the ferry have to do with anything?" She eyes the door, she can't run for it. Not just yet. He's too close, but maybe if she inches back?

Misty takes an experimental step backwards and gasps, it as if she's been dumped into the frozen waters off Shamouti. For a moment she can't think, or even breathe. Desperately she inches forward again and slowly the air returns to her lungs.

The old man shakes his finger mockingly. "Oh no, it won't be that easy. I've been trying to get you alone for months."

"As…flattering...as that isn't," Misty hisses, swallowing a scared gasp. "Why have you been trying to get me alone?"

"You know," the old man continues, as though Misty hadn't spoken. "It's funny really. All of these months keeping you and that boy away from Rocket outposts and all it takes to get you away from them is one psychic barrier….this could have been over ages ago." He chuckles and Misty shivers with the sound. "You two really should learn to read maps."

"I'll get right on that." Misty sighs, "just as soon as you let me leave."

The old man laughs again and glides closer, Misty isn't even sure she sees his feet move but suddenly he's almost close enough to touch. Misty tenses her shoulder. A foot nearer, and Misty can end this, or at least gain enough time to retrieve Staryu from her pocket.

"You're much too important to let get away," the old man replies, stopping just out of reach. "Surely you know that."

"Great," Misty spits, rolling her eyes. She takes a step forward, moving her thumb so that she doesn't break it when she's close enough to swing. "Is this the part where you tell me only I can save the world by gathering some mystical thing?"

"Oh," the old man clucks, "No, dear." He sighs, face shifting until it reminds Misty of the one that the doctor had worn when telling Daisy about their parents; sympathetic and apologetic but surprised at being the one go share the news, like she should already have known. "You're not the one that saves the world, Misty. You end it."

"And that means, what? Exactly?" Misty bites back, shuffling a few inches closer. "I snap my fingers and suddenly the world stops turning?"

"That...or your blood spills in the right place." The old man laughs, a deep chuckle that brushes past Misty in a shiver of cold air. "You know how prophecies are."

Misty cracks her knuckles. He's still too far but she doesn't want to take another step closer. "Annoyingly vague?" She taunts, eyeing the desk that the nurse had fallen behind. It's closer than the door and maybe, from there, Misty can fight her way out.

The old man tosses his head back and laughs.

Or.

He doesn't bend his neck, not really, his whole upper body bends back with his laughter. Misty shifts her weight, readying to run towards the desk instead of the door and hoping his laughter will drown any noise the floor might make.

She bounces on the balls of her feet-she'll sprint off as soon as she's offered a parting shot-when a low moan cuts through the surrounding laughter. Misty struggles to force her face blank and innocent as she meets the old man's quickly narrowing eyes. But he doesn't look at her.

No.

He whips his whole body towards the desk and Misty shudders with the movement.

And the cold. Like a blizzard has suddenly risen in the pokémon center.

Momentarily forgetting her bid to hit the old man, Misty turns and watches as the nurse slowly raises in the air.

She's bleeding, slightly-probably she'd hit her head when she fell. But she's still breathing. It's shallow but there. She groans again as her body leaves the floor until she's floating upright beside the desk. Her arms and legs and even head hang limply, like a puppet with cut strings. The old man holds his hand out and the nurse's body...animates-arms and legs sticking straight out like the nurse is back in control. Even her head and spine are straight, upright as any stantlers horns. Suddenly the nurse's body pulls into itself and, with a nightmarish crunch, falls ragdoll to the floor.

Misty gasps and glances back to the old man only to find his hand clenched before him, fist tight enough to make the whole hand pale purple.

"Is she…" Misty starts, before trailing off unsure how to finish.

"Oh don't look so shocked. You've left plenty of them for dead." The old man sneers.

"What?" Misty gasps. "Plenty of who?"

"Them. Jessie and James. I almost don't have watch you, I can follow their corpses. Like breadcrumbs."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Misty shakes her head, not wanting to hear what he's said. What does he mean...them...their corpses? And why is he even talking about corpses. She's never killed anyone. Anyone. But this man? He clearly has and she's….relaxed her shoulders and shifted her stance and unballed her fists. That was stupid. This man is clearly dangerous and she's chatting with him like he;s an old friend. Shock or not, she can't forget that she still needs to get away. Though….maybe ….the door might be a better option.

The old man shakes his head again, glides an inch closer. "And here I thought that you were smarter than your sisters. I should just have pretended to be some water trainer….I could have gotten you alone then."

"Hey!" Misty shouts, shuddering in revulsion at the comparison to her sisters and the idea that this...old man wanted to get her alone for some reason.

"They're clones. All of them. When they fail, they die. And Team Rocket tries again with the next batch. And then they try again. And again. And again. They fail a lot around your friends." He laughs again, a cruel sound echoing in the cold room. "Arceus, you've gone through so many of them here that they don't even have time to bother with the morality imprint. Of course, without an Officer Jenny they hardly have to."

"Right." Misty replies, raising an eyebrow. "Clones."

"They'll do it to you too." He says, stepping in closer.

Stepping in just close enough.

"Right." Misty replies, rolling forward on the balls of her feet and landing a sucker punch. The second her fist connect she knows she's made a mistake. Her hand gets cold, like it's been stung by so many beedrill she can't feel it any longer.

And the lights flicker.

Her eyes roll back and her eyes grow fuzzy, hazy. Pinpricks of light dot her vision.

Yet, just before it all goes black, Misty swears she sees the old man draw into himself, growing bonier. His ponyta-tail morphs to a neck and his head grows points. The purple stain bleeds to cover his whole face.

And then…

She's under.

Black and empty with halos of light and pain and...Ice

She can't breathe.

It's water

Frozen water.

And there are...pokémon...everywhere.

Bubbles and reaching and reaching.

A hand. Ash's hand?

Swimming and choking and her lungs are begging for air.

A beach-New Island.

A fight. Everything is fighting.

Pokémon, people, clones.

Clones?

And Ash…

Oh Ash.

He's…

...falling

...falling

...falling

And landing.

And...A pokémon master,

The best master

He's...a pokémon…

"Mewtwo." She breathes.

In her pocket, the pokedex dings. _Mewtwo, the genetic pokémon. A vicious Psychic pokémon created by genetic engineering. Last known sighting: New Island_


	12. Prophecy Girl

A/N: This chapter…this is literally the first time I think I have genuinely loved a chapter I have written….and then let it get ripped to shreds in the editing process anyway. Though, it's probably a better chapter for it (Thank you aetheron)…oh also, just as a reminder, this chapter was supposed to be part of the previous one…so…pacing?

Prophecy Girl

Silence, as fragile as spun glass, fills the center the second that the pokedex quiets. Neither Misty nor Mewtwo move, eyes locked as they glare at one another. For several moments it's silent and still and frozen. Misty breathes out, slowly and, like breaking a spell, the crystalline quiet shatters with narrowing eyes and panic.

Misty tenses and dives for the door, rolling behind a turned over couch that's feet from the exit. Mewtwo's eyes narrow and he holds out a hand, temperature dropping with each inch it rises. Mist shivers and huddles into the couch, the upholstery blocking the worst of the cold. Down behind the couch as she is, she can't see Mewtwo without peering over or around it. Which is...good?

He can't see her either so…

She has to get out. Her back against the couch, Misty looks to the door. It's too far. She can't make it without passing directly in front of Mewtwo. Mewtwo who's standing right in the middle of the room. She can't make it further in either.

She's stuck.

She needs a plan….

"The couch won't protect you, Misty." Mewtwo says. His voice is toneless, dispassionate and yet...not. It sounds older...and...layered; filled with some dark undercurrent she can't quite place-riptide under a calm ocean. But...it's familiar too…It scratches some distant corner of Misty's mind that calls images of gym battles and dollhouses and not New Island and clones.

"Do I need protecting?" She asks.

He scoffs and suddenly, it clicks. Sabrina. He sounds like Sabrina, back when the whole of Saffron City was afraid of her. This is...worse than she thought. There was no reasoning with Sabrina, just playing her games. And losing.

Misty can't lose.

She's pretty sure that if she does it won't just be waiting as a doll until Ash can rescue her. No. She needs to win. Or at least...escape? Maybe, if she can reach Staryu….she can distract Mewtwo enough to get to the door. Or at least bring this fight out to the street.

"I will get you eventually," Mewtwo responds evenly. His voice echoes loosely around the room, an undertone of violence dragging menacingly along the cushions of the couch and playing with the skirts on the chairs across from her. Under different conditions, in a different time, this room would have been nice. Filled with plenty of spaces for trainers on their way to and from battles to meet up with friends and share stories and defeats and victories. It seems wrong what he's done to the space, filling it with anger and fear. And cold. So cold.

Misty shivers and leans against the couch, jumping back from it as it freezes against her back. It glows, a bright purple that Misty barely sees out of the corner of her eyes. Desperately, Misty flips around and slams her hands onto it as though she can hold it down. The couch is cold enough to burn and Misty tries to pull her hands away, but before she can the pain fades and the glow vanishes. "Why are you trying to get to me? I can just leave, pretend I never saw you."

Across the room, Misty can hear Mewtwo...sigh? "There was a time when such half measures as that might have worked." His voice is sadder now, a resigned tone colored by something that might be regret.

"It-"Misty swallows hard. "It can still work." She pleads.

"No," Mewtwo shakes his head and his whole body follows. His tail drags on the floor with his refusal, sharp sounds cutting against the polished stone of the center. "The machine has betrayed you."

"What do you even mean?" Misty practically cries. He's making no sense and even Sabrina at her most...at her most, had made sense. It was a twisted kind of sense but it had been there. But this, this is crazy and Misty knows you can't reason with crazy. She needs to pull this...whatever it is...outside. She'll have more room to run and even if someone sees, Misty is pretty sure they'll be more than a little concerned about the giant psychic pokémon. Mew, she might be able to slip away unnoticed even with the wanted posters.

"Your little...device knows what I am." Mewtwo offers in a tone so much like Misty;s own sisters explaining their reasoning for not doing some chore or another. Like Misty automatically understands that having just polished ones nails implies one can't do manual labor: it's an exasperated tone screaming that the explanation is obvious.

Misty doesn't get it. She shrugs behind the couch. "Of course it does. It scanned you at New Island. It's a pokedex, that's what they do." Misty blinks. "Why are you even here...didn't you have an army of cloned pokémon to protect?"

"I am protecting them." Mewtwo calls. His voice echoes angrily around the room, hitting Misty like a body slam. Misty shudders, she can almost feel his anger building, whatever he does next is going to hurt...if it works.

Wait…

Her Staryu can't beat Mewtwo in a one on one fight but...if Mewtwo doesn't think it through...It's like Ash when his opponents get him angry...he never thinks. He just does.

Maybe?

For the first time since the temperature fell, Misty smirks. "So where are they then? I don't exactly see them and you can't keep them safe if you're not with them." She widens her eyes, forcing a surprised gasp from her lips. "Unless they're invisible…"

A bolt of something glowing hits the wall behind her, denting it. Which…is interesting. Maybe Misty doesn't have to get to a door at all….Maybe, just maybe, she can make one where she needs it. She can't send Staryu against Mewtwo, but a well-placed rapid spin might be able to take down the wall.

"My pokémon are safe, away from all who might try and harm them."

"And yet," Misty calls back, ducking into as a low a ball as she can manage. Her voice is steady, unwavering, but her body trembles around the words. "You're here fighting with me. Not great leadership."

"I do what needs to be done to protect my people." Mewtwo screams back, voice bitter with fury. His tail lashes angrily against the floor.

"Right," She breathes in quickly, and coughs-the frigid air burning her lungs, before edging her hand towards Staryu's pokeball at her belt. Like gusts from Articunos wings, the air crashes into her skin in frigid waves. Out from under Ash's jacket, her skin burns. It hurts to move and she can barely feel her hand. Numbly, she pulls the pokeball from her belt and presses the button to enlarge it. It's too fast, she can't keep a grip and the pokeball rolls to the edge of the couch.

Misty takes a deep breath and waits, if Mewtwo saw the ball roll-but the pokémon says nothing, and Misty sighs in relief. Now so just has to reach Staryu...without Mewtwo seeing her. "Because I am such a threat." She taunts, creeping slowly towards the edge of the couch. She reaches out a hand, slowly.

A bolt of frozen purple light speeds past Misty's hand.

"Are all humans so painfully stupid, girl?" Mewtwo chuckles.

"If I'm so stupid, why are you so worried about me?" Misty snarls, clutching her hand to her chest. The knuckles are raw, spreading droplets of blood on Ash's jacket.

"You're a liability. One that, for the sake of the world, I cannot abide."

Misty scoffs, fear bleeding to annoyance. "You keep saying that I'll end the world, but, and this may have slipped your mind, I live here too. I don't want it to end."

Mewtwo stops moving, and the room falls to a quiet roar in the absence of his tail swishing against the floor. The cold breaks, like the first rainfall of summer, and Misty all but tips her head up to gulp in the brief warmth. Mewtwo sighs for a second time, sounding resigned even as his tail resumes it thrashing against the floor. "It no longer matters what you or I want," he hisses into the silence with a blast of frozen wind. "Team Rocket knows who you are now."

"Then make them forget. Aren't you psychic?"

"I can make the humans and pokémon forget." Mewtwo replies, trailing off like Brock does when he's trying to get Ash to come to his own decision.

Misty blinks. "Then, I don't see a problem. Why are we fighting?"

"Because the device remembers me." He says it quietly, softly enough that Misty has to strain her ears to hear him over the air.

He sounds sad and, for reasons she can't decipher, Misty shudders in fear "Why does that matter?"

"It's a computer." Mewtwo offers.

"Ok...so?"

"I was unable to erase its memory." His voice is still leading but what he's saying doesn't piece together in Misty's head. The pokedex had recognized Mewtwo, yes, but only after she had as well.

"But I remember you too." Misty responds, peeking her head above the couch. She ducks it back down as quickly as she can when another bolt of something large and glowing flies past her head to dent the wall. She hisses under her breath; she can't get distracted like this. She has to get out.

"Your memories returned when you touched me."

Misty breathes in deeply, ignoring the sharp pain of the frozen air in her lungs, and fights not to gasp. She'd been remembering Mewtwo long before she touched him. He'd been haunting her dreams like a half remembered bogeyman from children's tales. But...it still doesn't make sense. Her memories came back, so why didn't... "But not the pokedex's?"

"They were never erased."

Misty groans in frustration, shrugging her shoulders in defeat. "Will you just tell me what you're trying to get me to figure out?"

"Team Rocket has reports about you, on their computers." He sounds sad again, almost apologetic.

"So what?"

"I had wanted to take you to the pokémon village and erase all memories of you from the people you know. But that will no longer work."

"Why would you take me to your village?"

"To keep you safe from those that might seek to end it all."

Misty blinks and then laughs, she can't help it. His plan would never have worked, she'd never have cooperated. "That's a terrible plan." Misty huffs.

"No matter, it no longer applies."

"Well, I can't wait to hear what your next idea is."

"I kill you," He says it coldly, as though bored with the idea. "You need to die so that everything in the world else might live." But the words bind Misty to her spot. She dies. That's it, that's how it ends.

"Mewtwo," she says, needles of ice pricking black stars in her vision. "I'm sixteen. I don't want to die."

Her eyes sting, frozen knives carve down her cheeks. There has to be a way out of this. She wipes at her eyes and huddles back on herself to stop the...cold?

It's not cold.

Misty blinks, ice falling to the floor.

It's quiet. There's no tail lashing or snorting or...anything...just silence

What?

Where's Mewtwo? Is he still there? Closer? She breathes out. "Ok." She whispers, she can do this. Just a quick glance. She takes a deep breath and peeks around the edge of the couch.

Mewtwo is still there but he's pulled his hand in and is shaking his head as though...confused. Or maybe...flustered?

He gives his head a huge shake and, with growing horror, Misty watches his eyes refocus.

"Foolish child," he growls, holding his hand out again. The cold returns, a sheer frost that Misty can only duck from. "Fake tears won't work on me for long."

"Fake tears?" Misty questions.

In her pocket, the pokedex dings and reads out " _Fake tears; a dark type move where the user feigns crying to make their foe feel flustered."_

"Wait," Misty whispers, pulling the device from her pocket. "Flustered...that happened to the nurse too...and it's a dark type move?" Misty blinks and then shakes her head. She has to focus.

She just has to…

Wait…

Dark type?

Isn't that strong against psychic?

Maybe...there must be a dark type in the center and maybe...maybe it'll help…

If she could just distract Mewtwo….she could get away.

"Come now, Misty." Mewtwo sighs, tail dragging lazily back and forth against the floor. "One life weighed against all the world? Come out from behind the couch."

His tail sounds closer. Misty swallows convulsively and licks her lips. "Make me." She hisses, summoning the courage to peer over the top of the couch.

It's courage rewarded by a bolt of purple rocketing past her head and the knowledge that, yes, Mewtwo is closer. Misty slides down the couch as far as she can get, couch fluff raining in her hair, until something hard and round digs into her back.

"Ow." she winces, carefully pulling out the...pokeball that had dug into her back. "Lapras?" she whispers, turning the ball over in her hand. "Oh, Ash." Of course he had given her another pokémon, just in case. And…

Well…

With Lapras...and that dark pokémon….maybe Misty just needs to distract Mewtwo long enough to grab Staryu and ice beam and rapid spin through the wall….

And that can't take long...a few moments and then she's either on the street…

Or dead…

Misty swallows again.

Hard.

There's a table next to the couch-it's not big. An end table more than a space to eat or work on-but Misty can duck behind it.

If she can reach it…

She glances at the couch cushions and then chances a look back over the top of the couch, ducking down again as another bolt of something purple and frozen slams into the wall over her head, raining couch fluff.

Mewtwo's closer...but...he could be a lot closer….

Maybe…

Misty peers over the edge of the couch and ducks down quickly, breathing out when no bolt of purple accompanies her actions.

He looks like he's hunching over, favoring his stomach as though hurts.

Like...like exactly where Misty had hit him. So she can hurt him.

Misty shifts and a couch cushion falls on her head, she startles, swallowing a squeak, and picks the cushion up. Looking at it, she grimaces, "Oh this is an idea worthy of Ash." she whispers, tucking her legs under her for better purchase. But she can do this, definitely, just...dive out, throw the cushion, grab the pokeball and roll behind the table.

Right. "One," she whispers, swapping the cushion to one hand.

"Two," she takes a deep breath, tenses her legs and breathes out slowly.

She's going to get herself killed. "Three." She rocks forward on her free hand and dives for Staryu's pokeball. For one terrifying moment, she's out in the open staring down a shocked Mewtwo. Their eyes meet as she's pivoting, twisting her shoulders to throw the cushion. His eyes are open wide and his mouth is pulled in a snarl. He seems frozen, Misty takes the opportunity to hit him square in the face with the couch cushion as she finishes the roll to the table.

A bolt of purple fries fluff just behind her.

Misty flips the table and huddles behind it, a pokeball in either hand.

The temperature drops again and Misty pulls in a frozen breath, air like glass shards in her throat. "Staryu, Lapras." She screams, voice tearing out of her throat in a whisper.

"Fool, what can they do against me?" Mewtwo crows. Behind his voice, Misty can hear a faint crackle like Pikachu beginning to spark up.

"Now would be a great time for a powerful dark move." Misty bites out while the red energy of the pokeball slowly resolves into Staryu and Lapras resolve slowly behind the couch. "C'mon, faster," she whispers. She can almost see Staryu's gem, just a little longer.

"Not fast enough," Mewtwo laughs, and that energy like Pikachu's spark roars over his voice.

Like a second frozen in honey, Misty can see the bolt of purple scream past her and pummel the red that is not yet Staryu. Lapras howls and Staryu wines and behind it all she hear a loud keening scream.

From her.

It's coming from her.

She's screaming.

Behind her, around her, beneath her a laugh echoes cruelly. It smashes into her in waves, pushing her under and into the floor.

Pushing

And pushing.

And it's cold.

Her hands and legs and arms and brain is frozen.

And…

It's too much.

Misty clutches her head and screams.

Suddenly everything is searing hot, like the castoff from Zapdos's wings. It's not a constant heat but pulses in bursts of sparks leaving fractal burns.

One after another, the lights flicker and fail.

Like a tide of black pouring from Misty, the lights closest to her sputter and fail. The air ripples and glows, pulsing past her in a wave white hot purple.

Mewtwo's tail hits the ground and a heavier thud follows.

Misty peers around the table and squinting can just see Mewtwo sitting on the floor, a dazed expression on his face.

"Thank you." she whispers, before standing up and shouting, "Quickly, Ice beam! Rapid spin! On the wall."

The pokémon turn to the wall and it explodes out in a hail of plaster and grunts. Misty runs through it, recalling the pokémon as she dashes over the wreckage. It's brighter outside than Misty expects, but she swallows the surprise and slips down the street, dashing towards the tunnels and Victory Road. She's blocks away, sprinting as fast as she can away from the center when her foot hits a stone and she trips, skidding along the half paved street as her speed carries her forward.

A concerned _kaa_ echoes in front of her.

Misty shakes her head and hauls herself to her knees, scrubbing her face with her hands. Later, she'll yell at Ash for coming after her. Now, now she's just thankful he's here.

A worried _pikachupi_ calls towards her and Misty braces herself just in time for Pikachu to hit her squarely in the chest.

She falls backwards, Pikachu on her chest, and puts her hand in his fur...and...stops. Her hand had hit something..a mass of fur that's sticky and thick...like jam. She pulls her hand away and wipes it against her leg, leaving behind a streak of red, bright as a vulpix in the somehow bright night. Misty starts chattering, a long string of sounds that Misty can't follow. She shakes her head and, suppressing another shudder, runs her hands over his body.

"No injuries." she whispers, "so what's going on?"

Pikachu drops a pokeball in her hand and presses her fingers so that the ball enlarges and Togepi coos at her from the red burst.

"Togepi?" Misty asks, she sits back up, holding Pikachu to her chest as she moves, and holds him out so she can meet his eyes. "Where's Ash?" she asks.

Pikachu begins chattering but stops mid syllable when he meets her eyes. His eyes widen, glinting back the light of the stars. Slowly he reaches out and touches her face, a slight spark in his claw. Misty swipes his hand away and shakes her head. Pikachu pushes his nose against her and twitches his whiskers, widening his eyes comically.

Misty widens her eyes back, "Pikachu, we don't have time for this." She starts, but Pikachu doesn't let her finish the thought. He reaches a hand out and, with a quizzical look gracing his features, smacks her face.

Misty blinks, and suddenly the street seems much darker. "Arceus, Pikachu." she hisses. "What in the name of Palkia was that for?" Pikachu chatters back, a long string of syllables ending in a _pika-pi_ which...wait. "What was that about Ash?"

Pikachu opens his mouth to reply but shakes his head and jumps off Misty's lap, running in the direction he'd come from. Misty sighs and, tucking Togepi into her bag, hauls herself to her feet to run after him, they have to get away from here anyway.

Limping, she chases after Pikachu, squinting to follow him in the dark. It had been so bright a few moments earlier, and warm. Misty shivers as she runs. Her legs hurt but she keeps running, shutting her eyes against the ache. She can barely see anyway,the night rapidly getting darker since Pikachu had slapped her. Something short smacks her leg and catches her foot. For the second time in the night, Misty sprawls forward onto ruined streets. She picks herself up, pulling herself to hands and knees and finds Pikachu standing before her ready to fight. She looks up, shivering, to find herself face to leg with Mewtwo.

A very angry looking Mewtwo.

"Fuck." Misty spits, rocking herself to her feet. She starts forward, catching herself a few steps closer to Mewtwo then she'd like to be.

"You didn't really think you could run from me, did you?" He glides backwards, just out of reach. Misty blinks. That's...interesting. She tests some weight on her leg, looking around as she does and nearly curses aloud again. They're in the middle of the street. There's no cover. Nowhere to run. And Staryu and Lapras aren't going to be much more help; when she'd recalled them Staryu's gem had been flickering worryingly. Lapras couldn't have been much better. Misty knows that she and Pikachu can't take Mewtwo alone. But Mewtwo is kidding himself if he thinks she's going down without a fight. She's Misty Waterflower, damn it. She cracks her neck and rolls her shoulder. From the corner of her eye she sees Pikachu tense beside her. Gaze never fully leaving Mewtwo, she flicks her eyes to Pikachu and wipes her jaw with her fist.

"And night daze?" Mewtwo sounds almost...insulted. He looks down at her, eyes narrowed as though considering a bug, and glares. He rolls one hand over the other, a ball of purple mist settling between them. "I mean, really? That was your plan?"

"Night daze?" Misty asks.

In her pocket, the pokedex blinks and, in a tinny voice, describes " _Night daze: a dark-type move in which the user unleashes a pitch black wave at its opponent."_

"Fine," Misty replies evenly, "how did you catch me?"

Mewtwo cocks his head to the side, twisting his lips on a taunting smirk. "You know, I thought you were smarter, but running from a teleporter? Tell me, does that little device do all the thinking for you?" He holds out a hand and blasts a purple ball at Misty almost lazily, forcing her to roll out of the way.

She hits the ground hard, hands coming out to take the impact like falling on a pool deck. She's on her feet again before she even considers what she's going to do. She's been forced back, Pikachu standing between her and Mewtwo, Misty leans against a broken storefront beside her, happy to take some of the weight off of her leg.

"Come on, Misty." Mewtwo huffs, hands moving to form another ball. "We both know how this will end."

"So I should make it easy?" Misty breathes out. "This is my life and I am not done living it," she sniffs and wipes her eyes with the back of her hands. "So if we're going to fight," she pushes off of the wall, unsteadily balancing on sore legs, "let's fight." She cracks her knuckles, nodding down at Pikachu. "Ready, Pikachu?"

Pikachu doesn't reply, instead barreling into Mewtwo with his fur sparking around him. He rebounds, bouncing back from the fallen pokémon with his fur sparking menacingly in the darkness.

Mewtwo doesn't get up. For three painful breaths he's quiet on the ground. "Thank Arceus." Misty breathes, turning to leave. She narrowly misses a frozen purple bolt flying just past her ear.

Misty flattens herself against the wall, glaring towards the large pokémon. Her head aches, a pounding throb beating behind her left eye.

He's going to win.

Pound.

He's going to kill her.

Pound.

She won't ever see Ash or Brock or her sisters ever again. We…maybe that's not all bad.

She swallows a panicked giggle.

The pain in her head arcs to an electric blue point and...

It's too much.

Much too much.

The temperature soars and the air ripples from her, an explosion the lights the night until she can see Mewtwo drop from his position hovering over the ground to land on his feet. He sways for a moment before his eyes glow, glinting dark in the bright night.

"Another night daze?" He drones sarcastically, rising once more to the air.

"What night daze?" Misty hisses back, "There's no dark-type pokémon nearby." Or at least, she thinks that there isn't. She won't take her eyes off of Mewtwo to look, he's too dangerous not to watch.

He's watching her too though, eyes never leaving her body even as he shakes his head and scoffs. "I had hoped you would understand before the end." It's an exasperated tone but tinged with something that might be guilt, or maybe sorrow. He seems genuinely upset that Misty can't seem to reach whatever lesson it is he's trying to impart. "I don't suppose you'd care to assist?" He flicks his tail towards Pikachu, almost dismissively.

Pikachu grits out an annoyed _chuu_ and shocks Mewtwo once more. It's a halfhearted attack, a last ditch effort while Pikachu rebuilds charge. Mewtwo dodges the move effortlessly.

"Oh well," Mewtwo sighs, eyes glowing brightly. "No matter then, I suppose it makes little difference." A boulder, or perhaps part of a building, rises behind Mewtwo and hurtles towards Misty. She dives, hands protecting her face as she rolls behind a knee high remnant of wall. The boulder explodes millimeters from her footprints, shards of rock pelting her in the relative safe haven she's found.

Misty groans. She's missing something, something important enough that Mewtwo is willing to waste precious seconds when he could be pummeling her, just so that she can work it out.

But she can't.

Behind the knee high tower, Misty feels ready to throw her hands up and scream.

She doesn't.

The last rock falls and Misty reaches a hand to pull herself once more to her feet, to put her eyes back on Mewtwo. If she's learned nothing in this Arceus forsaken excuse for a region, it's not to take your eyes off your opponent.

And it's been too…ow.

Her hand grazes something sharp, eyes cast down she searches out whatever it her hand is hit. It's not much. A shard of mirrored glass, no doubt a remnant from some destroyed store or another, hardly larger than her palm. Misty breathes out angrily, and reaches to push the shard of glass out of the way. Her breath catches in her throat. In the glass, staring back at her from her face are eyes she doesn't recognize. They're dark; as black as the ocean at night.

The noise of the fight filters away leaving her head filled with static.

Nothing makes sense anymore.

She's losing, somehow. And she really thought that she had it, but here she is: losing the fight; losing herself; losing everything that matters.

And her eyes…in the glass…they're just…

She gasps, unbidden her hand raises to her mouth and recoils when a twinge of pain shoots through her palm. She shakes her head and picks up the glass, tossing it behind her. The glass shatters and suddenly, the world is filled with sound. Misty shivers.

Pikachu is chattering angrily, ear twitching in the direction of Victory road and Mewtwo is growling back, words absent in the fury of his hands rolling yet another ball of frozen purple fire. He has a lightning shaped singe mark on his fur.

Pikachu must have hit him while she was…

She can't get distracted like that again.

Even Mewtwo, though aiming another blast of energy at Pikachu, has an eye trained towards her.

Pikachu dodges his blast easily chattering out a harsh _pikachupi, pika-pi_ in Misty's direction as he does.

Misty nods, mouth set in a grim line, and rolls to her feet. "We need to get Ash." She whispers it, sure that she says the name under her breath but Mewtwo blinks and a ball of purple dissipates into mist in his hands.

"What's that about the boy?" He asks. He sounds worried...no...more...alarmed.

Pikachu turns his tail to Mewtwo, a sarcastic _chuu_ his only response.

"The boy?" Mewtwo drums, forcefully, purple energy building between his hands.

Pikachu glances at Misty before turning around and launching into a burst of chatter that ends with a repeated _pika-pi_

Under his breath, Mewtwo utters something that might be a curse. His eyes narrow and a purple glow surround him. All around him rocks levitate until his feet are surrounded by a halo of stones. The temperature drops enough that Misty is surprised that Pikachu's annoyed huff isn't accompanied by a puff of mist.

Misty's eyes widen. This must be bad, though why Mewtwo cares is not something Misty wants to consider. An eye towards Mewtwo, she turns as much of her attention towards Pikachu as she can. "What's going on with Ash?" She demands. She tries to say it calmly, a though she doesn't care. But the words pour out with heat and anger. The temperature seems to rise as she speaks, although that might just be an angry flush, and the night seems brighter. Without even squinting, she can see the bursts of static running through Pikachu's fur. Misty fights the urge to touch her eyes, sure they must have gone dark again.

"Team Rocket has him." Mewtwo responds, the rocks settling back to the ground. His eyes narrow and the night gets a little darker, a little colder.

"What about Brock?" Misty asks, squinting in the dark.

In the corner of her eye, Misty can see Pikachu nod and then look down, adding a sad _ka-pika_ as he looks away.

"What. About. Brock?" Misty demands, and the space around them heats up and brightens again.

"He's fine, taken with Ash."Mewtwo lashes his tail against the floor, whipping it weakly against the street. A stone flies behind him, crashing down the hill just past his feet. They'd made it close to Victory Road. If Pikachu hadn't stopped her…

She'd probably have been taken with Team Rocket.

"And everyone else?" Misty asks. Pikachu nudges Misty's legs, she glances down at him and he shakes his head. Misty sniffs and turns her eyes back to Mewtwo. It's hardly a second her eyes aren't on him, but Mewtwo uses the time. When she looks back up, a purple blast is inches from her face. She ducks, hissing as she puts too much weight on her leg. "Fine, let's end this then. I'd like to get to Ash and Brock before Team Rocket does...whatever they're going to do."

"So eager?" Mewtwo asks, rolling his hands once more. "Quickly then, Team Rocket can't have his abilities."

"What, are you going to kill him too? Keep him out of Team Rocket's hands?" She taunts, pulling her hands into fists.

"No, his life is needed for the world to continue."

"Of course it is." She rolls her shoulders, cracking her back up the spine. At her side, Pikachu _chuu_ 's determinedly. They're going to do this. They're going to fight. And it's comforting, she guesses, to know that even if she loses...even if she...dies…someone at least will rescue Ash. Or, and a truly awful thought strikes her as sparks crawl over Pikachu's fur, at least someone will try to. "How exactly are you going to rescue him?"

"I'll take him back."

"How?"

Mewtwo shakes his head, "We don't have time for this, girl. I will enter the facility and remove him." His hands roll over one another, balling a burst of purple fire. "Now stop wasting what little time remains."

"Ok," Misty huffs, fists still up. "Let me get this straight. You're going to enter the facility and when they come at you with every dark-type pokémon that they have...then what? The world loses?"

"What would you have me do, human?" He asks, lobbing a lazy ball of energy towards Misty. She dodges it easily, letting break in icy shards harmlessly between herself and Pikachu.

"Take me." Misty retorts.

Pikachu _kaa_ 's beside her and launches a bolt of energy towards Mewtwo.

Mewtwo glides to the left just in time and the bolt screams just past his face. "Why would I do that?" He scoffs, eyes glowing blue.

Pikachu floats into the air, a purple glow surrounding him. He _kaa_ 's in alarm and moves his arms as though swimming. "Why go after him?" she wonders aloud. "Why not me?"

Mewtwo doesn't answer, maybe doesn't hear. Misty sighs, maybe she can get Pikachu down. Afterall, her touch had brought the couch down...and the glass. Eyes on Mewtwo, Misty rocks forward to tap Pikachu lightly with her fist.

"Are you deaf as well as stupid, girl? Or have you just given up? Why would I bring you?"

Misty's hand freezes as soon as she touches Pikachu, but he falls to the ground, landing on all fours in a fighting stance. Maybe...Maybe Mewtwo's powers don't work on her. He's never hit her with anything or lifted her or even tried too. All that happens when Mewtwo does anything is that it gets cold. Misty rubs her hand against her shirt at the thought, ridding it of the lingering chill. "You should bring me because Pikachu and I can handle the fights you can't."

"You?" Mewtwo hisses, disgust plain in his tone. His eyes glow again and a flurry of rocks raise into the air. "What can you do?"

Misty cracks her neck. Right, now is as good a time as any to test her theory. She glances, quickly towards Pikachu who unleashes a burst a blinding white light. Misty shuts her eyes as soon as she hears the static cackle just before his attack. Blindly, she runs through the light, avoiding the cold patches of rocks that are floating throughout.

So far, so good. Mewtwo hasn't hit her and she knows where his stone missiles are.

This is working.

Smirking, she squares herself in front of the last place she'd seen Mewtwo. Misty can almost imagine him, eyes squinted as he struggles to see through the blinding flash. "I can do this," she replies triumphantly, sucker punching Mewtwo with all of her force.

She hits his side, a glancing blow.

He'd turned, he must have seen her somewhere along the way.

Still, Mewtwo winces and his attention breaks. The temperature rises slightly and the rocks fall, raining down around them like hail. Mewtwo's eyes narrow, glowing blue. Something shoves at Misty but it's a gentle push, not enough to knock her down or even push her back. Mewtwo fights not to widen his eyes.

"So you were going to defeat me somehow." Misty looks Mewtwo up and down and smirks, sharing a glance with Pikachu. "I think you've failed." She drops her hands to her sides and palms the pokeballs she has with her. Sure, Lapras and Staryu are damaged but maybe, with the four of them against one, she can end this.

Mewtwo turns to her sharply, eyes glowing and the pokeballs she's palmed fly into the air. A thin piece of glass floats in front of her face. "Fool girl, did you think not being able to affect you would keep you safe? I can use anything as a weapon." His eyes glow and Pikachu is suddenly facing her, an angry gleam in his eyes.

"I had hoped, "Misty swallows and pokes a finger out to touch the glass shard. It falls but several more fly up in its place. The air chills and Mewtwo laughs. He thinks he's won. But Misty, Misty hasn't given up yet. She kneels down and inches closer to Pikachu, Mewtwo doesn't seem to notice as he arranges the glass shards to finish the fight. Cringing just under a ribbon of needle sharp glass, Misty taps Pikachu whose eyes clear. He looks around them, and looks up at Misty. She nods.

Pikachu unleashes an angry _KaCHuu_ and thunder flies. The glass all falls, Misty grabs her pokeballs from the air and calls them out.

When the bright flash clears, Mewtwo is left blinking in field of fallen glass with three pokémon staring him back.

"Now really though," Misty snarls. "I am going to rescue him-them. I could use your help. But one way or another, I am going. "

"I won't help you, girl." Mewtwo intones angrily, tail lashing against the pavement.

"Fine." Misty replies calmly. "Staryu, Lapras, Pikachu." The pokémon respond enthusiastically, each powering up their attacks.

Mewtwo shrugs, "Very well." He lets his feet hit the ground, tail swishing behind him. "But we will finish this once the boy is safe."

"Of course." Misty agrees, recalling her pokémon.

Mewtwo glares at the bolt of red energy as though disgusted by the action. Misty sniffs. "Where are they?" She asks.

"The coast." Mewtwo replies.

Misty's shoves the pokeballs in her pocket and throws her hands up in defeat. Tears are pricking at the corner of her eyes, just when she'd finally thought she could save them. Hoarsely she questions," and just how will we get there? It took me and Ash and Brock forever to get this far."

Mewtwo quirks up his lip in what might be a smirk. "I know." He replies, holding out a hand. "But I can teleport."

Misty shakes her head and, scoffing, scoops Pikachu from the ground to her shoulder. She takes Mewtwo's hand and suddenly, like walking through a waterfall, the world is frozen and dark.

Her stomach lurches and drops through her feet into a pool of electricity that drags her whole body with it.

She's frozen, like stepping into the Cerulean Lagoon in a bitter winter. Everything aches and her head spins and then…

Then…

It's dark...

Purple energy flees Misty's eyes and she hunches over, retching in the...sand?

Looking up, silhouetted against a growing dawn, Misty sees what she can only describe as a castle sitting at the edge of a strip of dark sand.

"Arceus, where are we?" Misty breathes, Pikachu agreeing on her shoulder.

"The coast." Mewtwo replies, sounding exasperated by the obviousness of it. Behind him, a wave crashes against black sand.


	13. The Zeppo

A/N: I am sorry that this chapter took me over 50 days to write. Real Life and I got into a bit of a fight and Reality does not pull its punches. It's good though, I'm back on my feet…mostly...and the scars will eventually fade…or I'll just look more badass…either way…onwards we go

The Zeppo

She looks small as she walks out of the tunnels, Ash decides, like a pichu staring up at a gyarados before a battle. Ash shudders as he thinks it. That's not a battle the pichu can win, not even with type advantage on it's side. It's awful, really, her going by herself. But...she hadn't even let him walk with her to the tunnel's exit claiming he was safer hanging back at the fires with everyone else.

Misty turns just before she steps outside into the dark and waves and Ash waves back, smiling when Pikachu jumps on his head to see just a little further. Ash even lifts Togepi to wave, but the baby pokémon can't see much further than Ash's hands in front of him. Misty smiles brightly back, her teeth glinting in the warm light of the campfires behind him, and then straightens up, stepping into the dark.

Ash sighs and stares after her, glaring at the tunnel entrance long after she leaves. He can't see her anymore. He hasn't really been able to since she'd stepped into the dark, but still; he watches all the same. She'll come back through soon.

Right?

She has to.

Suddenly, in the semi-light of the tunnels, Ash trips, stumbling over his feet and a...rut in the ground? He must have start pacing at some point, the dip he'd tripped over perfectly traces a path between the two walls of the tunnels opening.

But when?

Ash blinks, glancing around in a tunnel somehow darker than he'd remembered.

He must have been pacing for a while.

Togepi is snoring in his arms and Pikachu is….somewhere….

A frustrated bit of chatter bursts from Ash's feet and looking down, he has to smile. Pikachu is covered in dust and gesturing almost wildly his arms. His eyes meet Ash;s and for a moment Ash is positive that Pikachu rolls his eyes before the small pokémon shakes off the dust and runs off towards the fire, spouting an annoyed _pikachupi_ as he does.

Ash shakes his head at the mouse, turning his head back towards the dark with a grimace.

Pikachu is probably right.

She's Misty, she'll be fine. She's always fine..but…

Still.

Ash can't help but feel…

He doesn't know the word and wishes, for the millionth time that Misty would just hurry back. She would know the right word. She usually does.

But...it's weird, really. His skin is crawling like it's covered with weedle. It's almost all Ash can do to keep rocking Togepi and not rub his arms.

At the same time though his stomach is sinking, like the SS. Anne filled with snorlax. It just feels….

Wrong.

Something is wrong.

He definitely should have followed Misty.

But she'd told him not to.

Though...when had he ever listened to her about something like this?

His head throbs and swaps Togepi to one arm, clutching his head in the other. It'll be all his fault if something does happen, he "should've followed her, no matter what she'd said" he thinks, groaning in a near blinding pain from his head.

"Did you say something Ash?" Brock asks from somewhere behind him. Pikachu echoes Brock's concern with a worried _chuu._

"What?" Ash asks, turning towards Brock. It;s a decision he almost immediately regrets. After staring out towards the dark of the city, the fire where Brock is sitting is painfully bright.

"You said something before, I think." Brock states, Pikachu agreeing firmly.

Ash shrugs. He hadn't thought he'd said anything, but maybe….maybe he had? "I was thinking about Misty." He admits.

"Oh," Brock sighs, "Come and sit down, Ash. We can wait for her together."

"I don't want to wait for her though." Ash whines, beginning to turn around again. "I should have gone with her."

"And done what, exactly?"

"I don't know." Ash moans, throwing up his hands and causing Togepi to cry. "Helped her somehow."

"How?"

"I don't know." He grumbles again, rocking Togepi sullenly. The baby pokémon quiets in his arms, slowly drifting back to sleep. For a moment, Ash is jealous of Togepi sleeping even though Misty is out doing something crazy. Though, if he's honest, it's not just Togepi that Ash is jealous of. No, he's jealous of all the Strayanthe trainers really. They're deeper in the tunnels, huddling with friends and family and not pacing in the tunnels like a crazy person waiting on Misty to come back.

Or.

Well.

They are waiting, he supposes, for the supplies Misty will bring. But it's almost a celebration for them. If he listens carefully, tilting one ear back, Ash can hear them laughing and talking and running. It almost sounds like they're playing, Though Jackson had assured Ash and Brock both that all the trainers did anymore was train so that they could fight. If they are playing, Ash doesn't blame them. He knows as well as anyone else that sometimes you need a break and with the promise of food on the way, it must seem like a holiday.

A holiday Misty has to provide. His stomach churns and Ash swaps Togepi to one arm, clutching a hand to his middle. "I feel like I should do something though." Ash offers, glancing a tired eye over Brock's fire.

"Ok." Brock nods, as though this makes sense. As though any of this makes sense. "Then sit down. It's cold and you freezing isn't going to make her come back any faster."

"No…" Ash begins, only trail off with a shiver. Brock raises an eyebrow the same way Misty always does when Ash doesn't listen to her, and Ash finds himself walking to sit down in front of the fire before he's even thought to argue. As soon as he sits down he realizes how cold it is. The fire is so nice and warm, Ash's eyes nearly drift shut and if it weren't for Pikachu jumping on his lap, he'd probably have fallen asleep.

His eyes shoot open and suddenly all he can think about is the fact that Misty had walked off in the clothing she always wore; definitely not something warm enough for the night. "Brock she's going to freeze."

"She'll be fine, Ash." Brock says, shaking his head.

Ash sighs again, setting Togepi down to sleep on his bag. His arms are filled by Pikachu almost as soon as Togepi is out of them. He pets Pikachu absentmindedly, staring into the fire. His stomach flips again and he breathes out heavily. "How does she do this?" He whispers.

"Do what?" Brock asks.

"Wait for me."

"When has she ever waited for you?"

Ash takes a deep breath and blows it out slowly, scratching Pikachu as he does. "Shamouti, Saffron City, On the SS. Anne, " He ticks off his fingers as though reading off some large list, looking up in surprise when Brock breaks out into deep laughter, near doubling over as he tries to laugh and breath at the same time.

"Arceus, Ash." He forces out, catching his breath. "She didn't wait any of those times. She ran after you almost as soon as you were out of sight." He coughs, still laughing hard enough that he's having trouble breathing. "It was a good thing she did too, you would never have made it out if she hadn't."

"What?" Ash cries, standing up. Pikachu tumbles from his laugh and sparks up, angrily chattering at Ash for moving him. "Sorry, buddy." He pats Pikachu soothingly before reaching for his bag. "I have to go after her."

"Ash," Brock calls, moving to his feet.

Ash glares at him over the fire, "No," he shouts. "I have to help her. I can't believe you let me sit and wait. She would never have waited"

"Yes but, Ash, you take stupid risks. She won't."

Ash shakes his head and grabs his hat, moving around the fire. He's nearly past the log Brock is sitting on when a hand hits his shoulder, hard, and forces him back down. Ash looks up, hands tensed at his side as he does. He's not as good in a fight as Misty, but he can throw a punch and he will.

His hands come up, balled in a fist as his eyes meet Jackson's. For a moment, Ash isn't sure what to do. He could finish the punch or...not.

His hand stops midair and his arm hangs limply in the air before dropping to rub a knuckle against the log he's sitting on. "I have to go." He repeats sullenly.

Jackson just shakes his head, smiling sadly as he does. "Don't go off and do anything reckless." he says, his deep burr almost hidden by the crackling fire. "Your girlfriend will be fine."

Girlfriend.

Is that what she'd be if they ever got to talk?

Beside him, Brock takes in a deep breath and then holds it like he's waiting for something. But, what?

Maybe an answer?

Should he agree that he won't go after her? Ash's stomach flips uncomfortably and his whole body sags. He wants to go after her but...Jackson is probably right. He shouldn't, "Yeah," he replies numbly, hardly paying attention to the words as he says them.

Jackson nods at this and walks away, heading towards the back of the tunnels to help with the training going on. Or join in the games.

Ash scratches his nose as the older trainer walks away and turns to Brock, surprised to find a concerned look on the other boys face.

"Are you feeling alright?" Brock asks, reaching forward as though to feel Ash's forehead. Pikachu echoes his concern with a worried _chu._

Ash draws back, blinking at them in confusion. "Yes? Why?" He asks, brushing Pikachu's paws away.

Pikachu rocks back, away from Ash's hands and raises his ears in a question, chattering out a confused _pikachupi_

"Yeah, Ash." Brock nods in agreement. "Jackson called Misty your girlfriend."

"So?"

Pikachu scampers towards Brock, chattering indignantly all the way and the two of them look at Ash with equal expressions of confusion.

"You didn't complain?" Brock replies, speaking over Pikachu's response. The mouse nods at Brock's words.

Ash looks between the two of them for a moment before looking away, casting his eyes towards the light dancing across the tunnel walls. He feels his face warm up and he knows it has nothing to do with the fire in front of him.

"Arceus," Brock laughs, punching Ash's shoulder. "Did something happen?"

Ash clears his throat and forces his eyes to stay locked on the wall despite the fact that his face feels somehow warmer.

Pikachu chatters out an excited _chuu_ and Ash can practically hear Brock grinning. He looks down, refusing to meet either of their eyes with his face growing still hotter.

"No way, when?" Brock asks, punctuated by an excited _Kaa chuu_.

Ash coughs. He doesn't know. Not yet anyway. And really, what would he say? They hadn't talked yet, he and Misty, just...agreed that they should. And that's not….

It's not anything….

...is it?

Ash sighs and opens his mouth to say something, anything, to stop Pikachu and Brock from asking more question but whatever he's going to say is covered by a deep rumble from somewhere beyond them. He blinks and looks at Brock.

Brock shrugs and smiles. "Wow, Ash. We just ate, I didn't think even you could be hungry again that quickly."

Ash huffs out a laugh and begins to say something about Misty disagreeing with him but it never makes it out of his mouth, swallowed instead by another deep rumble from the back of the tunnels. Ash has just enough time to think that he really should have gone with Misty before the world goes dark in a rush of dust and noise, knocking him over into a gritty ocean. A gritty ocean that's...wet…

Hang on.

He blinks his eyes open and near screams as they fill not with dust but with salt and water. He opens his mouth to breath and shuts it again almost as soon.

His mouth and lungs and nose fill with water. Struggling he flails, his arms and legs moving strangely. Like they're weighted down by something pressing against them. All around them.

His head spins and instinct takes over; he reaches to pull a pokeball from his belt-which is ridiculous. He doesn't have any pokémon with him except Pikachu, and Lapras. But Pikachu is...was? Beside him and Lapras is with Misty. Still he reaches for a pokeball and barely keeps from shouting in shock when his hand closes around one. Uncertainly he pulls it out and in an arc of red, Squirtle appears before him.

Squirtle. He hasn't seen Squirtle in….years…

Squirtle doesn't wait for Ash to give a command, instead reaching forward and tugging Ash up through the surf. Ash shuts his eyes against the water…

...and opens them to dust and noise.

Dreaming.

He must have been dreaming.

Panicking, he drops to the ground hoping that the dust will work like the smoke in a fire and rise up. It doesn't. The ground is dusty and loud and dark. The fire's gone out. He pulls his shirt over his mouth and breathes slowly. With the air in his lungs, his hearing slowly comes back. It's loud, the uproar of a million doduo in unison. Ash can barely think past it, the roar of rocks sliding over one another fills everything. Except...except it doesn't. In the cracks between a wall of rocks pouring down, little sounds slip though. Little sounds like Brock screaming his name and Pikachu coughing and Togepi crying and more voices than Ash can name screaming. Ash blinks back dust and sound. It's not the rocks falling that Ash can't hear past; it's the screaming.

Slowly, forcing himself up onto his forearms, Ash crawls towards Togepi's cries, carefully avoiding the pit that the fire had been in. On the way he hits something small and furry. It coughs in response and sparks dance over its coat. If he squints, Ash can just barely make out yellow through the dust.

"Pikachu!" he chokes out. The sparks stop and Pikachu coughs a weak _ka_. Ash places Pikachu oh his back and keeps moving towards the cries. His hand hits the rough fabric of his bag and Ash sighs in relief. He drops to his stomach and reaches out blindly, stopping when his hand brushes something smooth and cool.

Togepi coos at the touch and Ash pulls the baby pokémon towards him. The crying stops and suddenly, it's quiet.

Eerily quiet.

There's no rocks grinding, no crackling fire, no crying, no screaming. It's as though the whole tunnel has taken a breath.

"Ash?" Brock screams from somewhere in front of him.

"Here." Ash coughs back, wiping dust from his face.

"You alright?"

Ash nods and then realizes Brock can't see him in the dark. "Yeah." he chokes. "You?"

"Fine."

"What happened?"

"Cave in, I think." Brock responds. Ash can hear him moving in the dim. Pikachu sparks up once more and faintly, Ash can see Brock through the slowly settling dust.

Footsteps sound behind Ash and he turns to see a light bouncing towards them.

"Ash, Brock? Are you alight?" Jackson's voice calls towards them.

Again Ash nods but is saved from having to reply by Brock calling back that they're both fine.

"Good," Jackson says, glumly, walking into their sight. "You can help with the cleanup."

"Cleanup?" Ash asks.

Jackson nods, stopping just in front of the wrecked fire pit. In the shared light of Pikachu and Charmander, Ash can see him covered in dust. One of his eyes is shut, already looking bruised in yellow orange light of the pokémon. "Yeah. We have to dig out who we can." He reaches out an arm to Ash who takes it after shoving Togepi in his bag.

Together he and Brock and Jackson walk towards the back of the tunnels where only moments before so many of the trainers had been playing and laughing and sharing food. There's a faint light as they get closer and breathes out a sigh of relief, a smile tugging at his face. If there's light there must be people. They must be fine.

They round a corner into the glow and...it's empty. There's nothing there beyond a few torches hastily flung towards a sloped wall and a stack of haphazardly thrown rocks. At first, Ash's eyes refuse to take it in. It just looks like so much rock. But then, like glittering nightmares, he starts to see hands and arms and legs and tails in the stone. In the wet stone.

Quietly, Ash looks around. There's no water anywhere. HIs head spins and the world before him blurs for a moment. It's not water that's wet the stones.

And then there are the screams.

Ash had thought it had been quiet at first. But it's not. It's not at all.

There are people in there.

And they are screaming.

Jackson steps forward and carefully feels around the stones, pulling some here and there as he begins to dig towards the loudest of the cries.

Ash swallows.

Hard.

"You ok?" Brock asks, halfway between Ash and the wall.

Numbly, Ash nods and whatever is on his face must be enough because Brock turns from him and walks towards the wall, testing stones as gingerly as Jackson.

"Call out your pokémon." Ash says after a few moments of watching Brock dig.

Brock shakes his head. "They're too big. Too heavy. I don't know how stable it is back here.'

"Oh." Ash responds, returning to dig. It's exhausting work. And dirty. And sticky in ways Ash would prefer not to think about. They pull some people from the rubble, Pikachu digging his way ahead to find them. They pull bodies too. And Pokémon. They dig and search until Ash's hands are thick with dust and...other things. Even Pikachu's fur is …

But there are still screams and so they'll keep digging.

At least they do until a rumble starts again, deep and low from somewhere nearby.

"We need to get out." Jackson shouts, moving towards the opening of the tunnel.

"No." Mari responds. They'd dug her out only moments before. Her arm hangs oddly and there's a deep cut down her leg. Her whole body is pale and shaking even as she stands toe to toe with Jackson, demanding that they stay.

"We can't help them by dying here." Jackson responds, through gritted teeth. He picks up some of the children they'd found. The kids moan at the motion but barely move, they'd been deep under. "Get her out of here." He says quietly, looking at Ash.

Brock is already leaving, people leaning heavily on either side of him and other are staggering out ahead of him.

Ash nods and, placing PIkachu on his shoulder, walks over to Mari and grabs her about the waist. "Come on." He says as another rumble starts behind him.

She sags into him and together they limp out.

And meet Team Rocket's waiting army.

Without even pausing Ash ducks behind a boulder, taking Mari with him.

They can't fight. Not and win. It's a literal wall of Team Rocket grunts and there are...well Ash isn't exactly sure how many of them have made it out of the tunnels but it can't be enough. Even with all of them it wouldn't have been enough.

"What are you doing?" Mari hisses at him, peering around his shoulder.

"Thinking." Ash hisses back.

"Well don't hurt yourself." Mari scoffs and Ash bites back a laugh. It's exactly what Misty would have said. "What are you even thinking about? We need to get out there and fight"

Ash pushes her back and peaks around the rock. Brock is fighting, his Onix wrapped around some pokémon Ash can't see while Brock himself is trading punches with someone in a Rocket uniform with blue hair. Jackson is on the ground, face down in front of two crying children. Many of the other trainers are in similar states, fighting or losing.

Ash swallows, air sticking in his throat like so much stone. "We can't go out there."

"Maybe you can't," Mari exclaims, pushing unsteadily to her feet. "But I'm going to fight. I suggest you do the same."

Ash shakes his head. "We'll only lose."

Mari nods, pulling a pokeball from her pocket. "At least we'll lose together."

Ash sighs, mouth set in a grim line. "Pikachu?" Pikachu jumps up beside him, _chuu_ ing fiercely.

Mari grins to see it, seeming to take it as Ash agreeing to join the fray. "See you out there." She murmurs, pushing past him to dash out into the fight.

Ash watches her go before pulling Togepi from his bag. Pikachu chatters in confusion but Ash raises an eyebrow at him and the electric pokémon rocks back to wait on his haunches, watching Ash with a confused expression on his face. Ash sighs and turns his attention to Togepi. The baby pokémon trills at him excitedly but Ash placing a finger against his mouth. "Togepi, I need you to do me a favor, ok?" he whispers. Togepi coos back at him, waving his arms happily. Ash smiles at him and pulls an empty pokeball from his backpack. "Togepi I need you to go in this pokeball, ok?" Togepi shakes his head, eyes screwing to cry. Ash bops him lightly on the head and Togepi's eyes open wide, confused and scared. "Togepi, it's the only way to keep you safe. So you can see Misty again." Togepi looks from Ash to the pokeball in his hand and trills once more; a high whining sound that has Ash wishing he didn't have to ask this of such a young creature. It's an unfair decision; but he stays silent watching Togepi make his choice. The baby pokémon shakes in his hands, trying to get away and Ash sighs. He's failed Misty once more.

He moves, beginning to put the pokeball away when Pikachu bounds up to Togepi and hits him, gently, on the head with a stream of chatter too fast for Ash to understand. The baby pokémon still in his arms and looks at Pikachu with wide eyes. The whining stops and the crying and Togepi turns to the pokeball. Ash takes a deep breath and holds it, watching as Togepi reaches forward and taps the button, disappearing in a beam of red.

Pikachu looks up at Ash with a questioning _pika._ He wants to fight now that Togepi is safe but Ash shakes his head. "I need a favor from you too." Pikachu shakes his head, sparking up and Ash immediately puts his hands up in defense. "Not going in a pokeball. I wouldn't ask you to do that." The sparks die and Pikachu's ears push forward in a question. Ash breathes out. "I need you to take Togepi to Misty."

Pikachu blinks and Ash can practically hear him preparing to argue. Pikachu breathes in and Ash puts a hand to his mouth.

"Pikachu, I need you to do this. Find Misty, keep her safe. Please, Pikachu." He holds out the pokeball and the breath seems to go out of Pikachu. He reaches forward, takes the pokeball in his mouth and rushes away in the night.

Sighing once more Ash turns to join the fight only to come face to face with a young trainer in a Team Rocket uniform. The trainer glares at Ash, smirking.

"Are you Ash Ketchum?" She asks.

Ash shakes his head, looking around for an escape. He can't get past her, but maybe he can run around the other way. He turns to run but his path is blocked by a cubone. "You don't have to do this." He whispers to the pokémon but it doesn't listen, or care. Too fast for Ash even to duck, the cubone brings its bone club down on Ash's head and everything explodes in pain. HIs head hurts, the world blurs and Ash's eyes drift shut.

And open in a stone room. There are pokémon everywhere; in the fountain and on the ceiling and running around on the stone floor in front of three trainers that seem somehow familiar. He's about to run forward to introduce himself when something stops him. Behind him, or maybe beside him, there's a sound like someone swallowing a scream. He turns and comes face to face with a sea of yellow. He glances up and swallows a gasp. It's Misty...except... he has to look up at her.

Up.

He hasn't had to do that since they were kids.

And she looks so….young…

He's going to tell her that. He's going to ask her when in the world she grew...except he sees her eyes. She looks so...lost…

"You ok, Mist?" He asks, putting a hand to his throat as soon as the words are out of his mouth, his voice is so high. And young.

"I'm fine" she groans back, anything else she might have said swallowed in the excitement of the new trainers running forward to introduce themselves. Their names pass in a whirr of sounds, but Ash is hardly paying attention. His eyes are locked on Misty as she shakily holds herself upright beside him. Which is ridiculous. She's exhausted, and he's standing right there, if she would just lean against him he could hold her up. At least for a little while. Of course, they'd never have done that at...well they have to be younger than thirteen, Ash had grown four inches that year and ended it with almost a head on Misty's height. Still, now Misty wouldn't even think before leaning over to rest. Rolling his eyes, Ash grabs her arm again and pulls her towards him. She stiffens for a moment before relaxing into his side. Ash lays his head against hers and closes his eyes for a bare second.

Opening them to a bright, white room.

Ash blinks, raising his hands to block his eyes against the harsh light. He's on his back, up against something hard and flat like a sleeping roll on a pokémon center's cot. He turns his head and the room spins threateningly. Everything hurts. He winces and slowly, carefully, sits up.

He's on a bed in an empty room with white walls and white floors.

He's still in his clothes, at least, the same jeans and black jacket and shoes he's started the day in, but his bag is….somewhere…

Slowly, he turns his head. Nothing to his left but white walls and floor.

Nothing in front of him.

Nothing to his...hang on… there's something green and shredded beside a large silver door.

Green...like his bag?

Groaning, he swings his legs over the edge of the bed and pauses, regretting his choice. His stomach drops to his feet and the room fuzzes around the edges. But his bag, he has to his bag.

And the door.

Gingerly he places his feet on the floor and pushes himself up to a swaying stand.

He takes a step and the room stays where it is.

Good

He takes another.

And another.

And another.

Until he's in front of the door. Taking a deep breath, he grabs the handle and turns.

It's locked.

Of course it's locked.

His legs wobble and, before he can kneel, Ash crashes to the ground catching sight of the green thing he'd seen.

It's his bag. Thank Mew it's his bag... though it has definitely seen better days. Still, he must have something useful in it.

Excitedly, he opens the bag only to groan in frustration when all he finds is an extra pair of clothing. He'd been hoping for an escape rope or...well, it'd been a stupid thought. He'd never been good at packing for emergencies. It had always been Misty who had the knife to cut the net traps or bobby pins to pick a lock or even just a hammer that she never felt the need to explain. Arceus, even Brock usually had his cooking supplies which had gotten them out of cells before.

And he is in a cell, Ash Ketchum has been in enough of them to know what they look like.

He's feeling around the edges of the door,looking for...he's not sure, but it's something MIsty had always done when they'd gotten locked in rooms together. Almost always she had been able to find some crack or break in the door that had led to them getting out in some way or another, though if he's honest, Ash isn't sure how. Still, he's searching the door when he hears a laugh echoing from behind it. It's a familiar laugh, high and cruel and instinctively, Ash glances around for Pikachu even though he knows that the pokémon is with Misty.

Or hopes he is anyway.

Swallowing hard, Ash makes his way back to the bed and lays down. Maybe, if he pretends he's still asleep, whoever it is will leave. He clenches his eyes shut as the door swings open, grimacing at the loud crash of it hitting the wall.

"Hey, twerp." Calls a cruel voice edged in laughter. Ash can't help himself, he opens his eyes and is shocked to find Jessie leaning against the doorframe. His mouth falls open. She looks...fine. There's no blood or scars or...anything. There's not as much as a bandage anywhere on her body that Ash can see.

"Wakey, wakey." Another voice comes from behind her, deeper but just as cruel. James pushes past Jessie to lean on the other side of the door. Together they frame Ash's only escape from the room, grinning as he looks between them. Ash looks down and sighs, what do they want?

"It's time to meet the boss." A final voice calls and Ash doesn't even have to look to know that Meowth has stepped between them.

It's just like old times only instead of being stuck in a hole while Pikachu angrily shocks whatever rubber covered contraption Team Rocket has concocted, Ash is stuck alone in a room with Pikachu hopefully miles away.

OK, it's nothing like old times. But Pikachu is safe. And Misty.

"Twerp?" James asks sounding bored.

"The boss won't be happy if he got his head messed up." Jessie adds, giggling at the end of her words.

Meowth scoffs and stalks towards the bed with his claws out. "Da boss won't care so long as the machine works." He says as he reaches a claw out to swipe. Ash ducks to the side and Meowth grins, baring his fangs. "He's fine anyway."

"Good." Jessie laughs. "Come on, twerp. You've got an important meeting."

"And if I don't want to come?" Ash asks, glaring at Meowth. The cat pokémon narrows his eyes and swipes Ash again, drawing a thin line of blood from his leg.

"We make you." James states, boredly twirling a rose.

Ash sits as straight as he can, raising his chin towards them. "I'd like to see you try." It's a mistake, he knows it as soon as he says it. The three Team Rocket members smiles at each other fiercely and walk towards him in step with one another. Ash swallows hard, glaring at them as they advance. James hits him first, a punch to the gut that has him doubled over before he can even think to strike out. Jessie's elbow hits his face next. His nose crunches under her blow and Ash is positive it's broken. He tilts his face forward, waiting for the blood to start. His vision fades, the room grows black and he feels like he's sinking into the bed. He doesn't even feel Meowth's attack as he drifts down and down and…

Up? He's looking up at strangely colored pokeballs flying everywhere. There are two pokeballs in his hands and somehow Ash knows that they contain Squirtle and Bulbasaur. And they're safe. At least, he's sure they're safe until those strange pokeballs open and engulf the pokeballs from his hands.

Which is impossible.

Yet...Pikachu screams from somewhere near him; an alarmed string of chatter that ends in an electric shock and dozens of those wrongly colored pokeballs hitting the ground. Pikachu runs, darting up a staircase with a flock of the pokeballs chasing him.

Ash follows, feet pounding on the stone painfully. Running shoes would have been smart, but he can't think about that now. Not when Pikachu is tiring out. Pikachu reaches the top and jumps, calling to Ash to catch him.

Ash looks down, Misty is shaking her head but it's Pikachu and Ash has already jumped, arms stretched out to grab him.

He catches a pokeball instead.

It shakes him, twisting all about in the air but Ash holds on, soaring with the pokeball into a strange room with computers all over.

Vaguely, he recalls passing Jessie and James and yelling about them that he can't handle them today-something he wishes he could still do-but it's a passing moment.

Pikachu's pokeball is dragged into one of the strange machines and an outline appears on the screen and then….PIkachu screams.

Ash clutches his ears and watches looking for some way to get his pokémon back. Eventually, Pikachu reappears, popping out of the computer like groceries on a checkout line. But it's not his Pikachu and when the rodent turns, sparks flying from his fur, Ash cringes and clenches his eyes against the pain.

Pain that explodes like being dropped on a floor. Ash opens his eyes against a rough carpet, his arms and legs ragdolled around his body. Everything aches. He groans and sits up, slowly hauling his legs beneath him. The room spins and briefly, Ash is sure he's going to puke. He takes deep breath and the room slows. It's not the cell he'd been in. There's a carpet beneath him, rough though it is, it seems expensive; something his mom would want in her home. And the walls; they're not white. They're wood of some kind. Mahogany maybe? They're dark anyway, paneled. And there's furniture. Desks and bookshelves and...feet?

Four pairs at least.

Ash takes a deep breath and sound fades back in.

"...mean it's not working?" A deep male voice states.

"I'm sorry sir." A high voice returns. It's followed by a light smack and papers fly to the ground.

Jessie and James laugh as an old man with white hair kneels to grab the scattered pages.

"There's something about him that interferes with the machine." the high voice continues from the kneeling man.

The deep voice laughs. "Then fix it." Jessie and James laugh with him.

"Who'd thunk it?" Meowth asks over their mirth. "The twerp, important."

"And the twerpette." Jessie agrees.

"Very." The kneeling man agrees, rocking back to his feet. A white coat brushes his legs as he stands. A scientist then. Or a doctor.

"Hush." The deep voice replies and the laughter stops. "He's awake."

Ash freezes. He should have stayed down.

"I've been waiting a very long time to meet you." The man says. Ash looks up and once again is surprised. The man with the deep voice is wearing a bright orange suit just like Misty had described the old Viridian Gym Leader wearing. What was his name again? Something with a G...like Geoffry or Grant or…Ash's eyes widen.

"Giovanni." He whispers.

Giovanni smiles, baring his teeth. "So you've heard of me."

"Barely." Ash replies. His head feels heavy and full of static.

Giovanni laughs, "Spirit. I like that." he kneels down in front of Ash, grabbing Ash's face in his hands. "So tell me, how are you breaking my machines."

"Not until you tell me where Brock is." Ash replies.

"Brock?" Giovanni asks, turning Ash's head in his hands.

"The other Kanto trainer we brought in." Jessie supplies.

"Oh, he's fine" Giovanni drops Ash's head and stands up, wiping a hand on the scientists coat. "For now."

Ash swallows. "What about the other Strayanthe Trainers?"

"They're less fine." Giovanni replies. "But Brock, he's still ok. Unless my machines keep breaking."

"Sir, I don't think he's doing it." The scientist interrupts. Giovanni looks at him and then shakes his head slowly.

"Jessie?" He whispers.

Jessie moves, a blur of motion that leaves the scientist on the floor. Ash gasps.

"What a shame." Giovanni states, turning around. "He was one of my best geneticists. No matter, he'll be a good…inspiration for the others." He turns back to Ash, a smirk gracing his face. "Work with my machines or Brock...well...there are no more of him. James?"

Ash turns just in time to see James raise a hand behind him before everything goes dark.

A bright purple light fills his eyes. Ash winces, stepping back and narrowly out of the way of a streak of pink. He blinks, focusing on a distant battle. There are pokémon everywhere, slamming into each other like him and Gary when they were kids before their journeys. Something flies into him and he slams into the ground, groaning when he connects with the stone floor. On top of him, Misty moans. Ash pushes her off him and sits up, eyes locked on the fight. She asks him something, checking that he's ok, but he doesn;t respond.

"We've got to stop this." He hears himself say, "Someone's gotta take a stand. Someone's gotta say 'no' and refuse to fight." He scans the battling pokémon, finding Pikachu among the fray, the small pokémon isn't fighting. Instead he stands before another Pikachu, a clone his mind supplies, and does nothing. "Just like Pikachu." He looks towards the ball of purple and pink and sighs, shaking his head. Someone has to stop them.

Stop Mewtwo.

Mewtwo?

For a moment, Ash is confused. He's never heard of Mewtwo, though it must be the giant purple pokémon in the middle of the fight. And then… he gasps, Mewtwo, New Island, the clones. He remembers it all and he knows how it ends.

Grinning, he glances back at Misty. "Sorry." He says, though the words never pass his lips, and turns to run towards the fight. "You've gotta stop right now!" He screams. A bolt of purple shoots towards him and doesn't duck, standing instead in the energy's path as he shouts at them to stop. The words never finish, the energy hits him in a roar of noise white hot pain, spilling down his nerves like boiling water. His slam shut….

And open to blaring alarms. His white cell is bathed in flashing red and sirens are screaming. Out past his door, explosions sound, bringing with them a rattling shake that lurches his bed away from the wall. The lights flicker threateningly and Ash smiles. That has to be Pikachu, he and Misty must have come for him. But they still have to find him. He needs to get their attention. Ash swings his legs off the bed and promptly drops to his knees. His legs hurt and the room is shaking. Ash takes a deep breath and stands again, slowly limping his way to the door.

There's no window and so he can't see into the hall that he's sure lies past it, but he bangs against his door, screaming against the noise.

A knock comes back.

Ash swallows his breath.

"Ash?" A girl's voice shouts, her voice coming through the door despite the steal and explosions.

"Yes." Ash screams back.

"Thank Arceus. Listen, Ash? Step away from the door."

Ash steps back and away, barely past the door when it bursts inwards in twisting steel and sparks. Misty steps through the scrap, Pikachu at her heels. She's covered in scrapes and soot and her hair is hanging wildly around her face but Ash has never been happier to see her. He crosses to her in barely two steps and throws his arms around her, burying his face in her slightly singed hair.

"What took you so long?" He asks, arms still around her. Pikachu jumps onto his shoulder, nuzzling into his hair.

Misty laughs, thumping his back, "Shut it, Ketchum. I'm here aren't I?" Pikachu agrees with a happy _kaa._

"Misty." A voice calls from the hallway. "What is taking so long, we must go." A large purple Pokémon enters the room just behind Misty.

She doesn't move but Ash…

Ash freezes.

This is bad. They can't fight Team Rocket and Mewtwo at the same time.

They need to get out.

To get away.

And Misty doesn't even seem worried.

Arceus, does she even remember how dangerous the pokémon is?

"Mewtwo." He hisses, grabbing Misty by the arm and pulling her behind him. His body tenses, muscles all freezing like he's made some terrible mistake. It suddenly feels like…he's surrounded. But the only thing behind him is Misty.

Misty.

She would never hurt him…unless he treated her like something to be rescued.

Which…well…he may have just done that.

But it feels like he's done something much worse.

He pivots, turning his body so that he and Misty can Mewtwo at the same time.

And he can see her.

Some of the tension eases and it must show in his face because Pikachu trills confusedly on his shoulder and Misty….

Misty blinks completely black eyes at him.

Ash shivers. Those eyes, they're pools of black…and not Misty.

Slowly her strange eyes flick over his shoulder and then she puts her whole face in her palm, shaking her head like Ash is doing something completely ridiculous.

When she looks back up, her eyes are blue and she's smiling like a fight is just seconds off.

He must have hit his head harder than he thought.


	14. Two to Go

A/N: so…another more than 50 days…I am thinking I tempted fate last time so we'll just….You know I had all of these goals when setting out to write this thing and they've kind of one by one been smashed…you know things like finish before summer, finish before summer camps start, finish before summer camps end and now I'm just at finish. If I could finish, that'd be awesome.

Two to Go

As they round the corner to the same dimly lit blank walls and weird metal doors that they've found down every corridor for the last hour of searching, Misty practically has to shove her fist into her mouth to keep from screaming. How did she get here? How did it come to this? She'd been the one doing reckless things this time and yet...somehow…

She sighs audibly, pushing somewhat singed hair away from her face with a rough stream of air.

Leave it to Ash to somehow manage to get captured while hiding out somewhere and making her rescue him.

Again.

Once, just once, she'd like to be rescued.

Well...she'd like Ash to rescue her before she got around to doing it on her own.

...

Maybe.

It would beat… _this..._ anyway. Because right now? This? This is her legs aching from running and ducking behind walls just out of sight of Team Rocket grunts. This is her throat scratched raw from choking breaths stolen between bursts of smoke and fire. And this is…her head pounding in time to the alarm that's been blaring since they'd walked in hours (or was it only minutes?) before. This? This is... Mew, Misty doesn't even know what this is anymore. She just knows that she's...tired; that sort of bone weary tired borne of lack of sleep.

Sleep…Misty blinks, eyes staying closed just slightly longer than she should have. Just long enough that when she opens them it's a little jarring; like she's missed a few seconds.

Arceus, when was the last time she slept? Was it at that pokémon center?

…

Was that really just the day before?

No, it has to have been more than that. Scrubbing a hand down her face, Misty blinks once more groaning at the entirely unpleasant sensation. It's like she's rubbing sandpaper against her eyes. She bites back another groan. It has to have been more than one day... surely they spent at least a few at the center? Or in the woods? Misty groans out frustrated yawn and blinks back tired tears; she only remembers one night passing. But too much has happened...right? I can't have only been _one_ day.

She shakes her head, eyes dizzily tracking the hallway as she moves. She's too tired for this. Too tired to think. Too tired to…

Just… too tired.

Of course, it may not be solely lack of sleep contributing to her fugue...no some of that blame might rest at the feet of her current partner in this endless search for Ash. Yeah, the fact that she's teamed up with a pokémon who she's pretty sure is keeping an eye on her until he gets the chance to kill her probably isn't helping her exhaustion.

She swallows hard.

For some reason, some reason now entirely lost to her, she'd thought it would go well; searching the facility-and there was no better word for the literal castle on the beach that Team Rocket had chosen to center their operations. She had a psychic pokémon with her for Arceus's sake, it should have made for easy searching.

And it had been easy...at first. They'd barely stepped into the facility when they'd found Brock, huddling behind the first door they'd checked. It'd been a cell, of course, stark white and empty of anything excepting Brock, his bag and a bed. And his pokémon...he'd had his pokémon for some reason, though didn't seem to be able to let them out within the room.

Regardless of the...weirdness of the cell, Misty had been so happy to see him; at least until Mewtwo had made her stay back until he was sure that the man in front of them actually was Brock and not some awful copy of her friend. Misty swallows hard thinking about it. That Team Rocket could just so casually copy someone she knew until they were standing in front of her and smiling and reaching out for a hug that might hide death and Misty wouldn't even know.

But it was Brock.

Or so Mewtwo said. And since she and Mewtwo seemed to have some sort of a truce, Misty was willing to trust him.

For now.

On _this_ anyway.

It hadn't been just Brock that they'd found, though. No, she and Mewtwo and Brock had turned up a few of the other Strayanthe trainers. Actually, Misty wipes her brow against the heat from yet another fire, it was mostly the fault of the few remaining Strayanthe trainers that the facility was in flames. Misty and Mewtwo had turned up others as well...from Strayanthe...but they'd been...not as lucky. Misty shudders at the thought, wiping a hand down her eyes as though to erase the images of what they'd found from them.

They'd found a lot in their hours searching: pokémon, Brock, surviving trainers but...

Not Ash.

It didn't seem to matter how many halls and doors and labs they pulled apart; he was nowhere.

Swallowing another groan of frustration, Misty punches one of the weird metal doors and grimaces as it creaks under her fist. She pulls her arm back, shaking out a fist that doesn't hurt, and stares dully at the hand shaped dent in the metal door; a door that is now painfully easy to see despite the smoke and dim lights in the hall.

So there was that too.

Whatever _that_ meant.

Misty sighs, quietly, and turns from the door before she can catch her reflection, she doesn't need to deal with seeing her eyes just this second. Back to the door, she scans the hallway, glancing down towards the bend at the end. A bend that's currently consumed in smoke. But there are four more doors before it's too hazy to see, maybe…

She shivers suddenly, the air seeming to drop ten degrees even though the fires are still burning in front and behind her. She rubs her hands against her arms and leans back just in time for Mewtwo to whir past her, Pikachu at his feet. Misty rolls her eyes and walks after them, carefully picking her way around the twisted metal of melted fluorescent lights. They do make quite a show, Mewtwo gliding relentlessly forward with Pikachu dashing along in his wake, shocking anything that moves more than a twitch while Mewtwo hurls deep purple balls of glowing energy.

Misty coughs, holding her breath as smoke floods the hall, moving forward until she's against the wall just behind the two pokémon. Quietly, she waits while Pikachu sends out another surge of electricity, this time at the cameras around another corner.

The alarms stop.

"Huh" Misty breathes out at the sudden silence. Mewtwo hold up a hand and anything else she might have said is quieted as Mewtwo glares around the corner.

It's a tense few moments until Mewtwo lashes his tail and Pikachu heaves a relieved _chuu._

"Are we getting any closer?" she hisses, leaning forward to peer down yet another hallway. It seems empty, but then again almost every one that they'd gone down so far had seemed empty until the grunts had begun pouring in.

Mewtwo scoffs at her and glides ahead, sparing her neither a word nor a glance. At the end of the hall, ages behind them, Misty can hear Brock's heavy footsteps as he rounds the corner in their wake, searching rooms for survivors or pokémon. She shakes her head and glances down at Pikachu.

"You'd think a _psychic_ would be better at finding your master, huh buddy?" she asks, rubbing his head. Pikachu twitches his nose in agreement before scurrying out around the corner.

"There are many types of psychics" Mewtwo whispers in her mind, the words sliding like frozen slime through her brain.

Misty scowls and, shivering, bats her hands about her burnt hair as though to wipe his voice from her mind. "You'd think a psychic could also warn me about explosions." She mumbles back, pulling on a few now particularly short strands of hair with her thumb and forefinger. Cracking her back with a growl, Misty steps around the corner into a hallway that smells unsurprisingly like the air around a thunderstorm.

"One might think you'd learn to duck after the first one." Mewtwo retorts, hauling a ball of frozen purple energy towards something Misty is certain will explode. She flattens herself against a wall just as the wave of heat and smoke pours past her, no doubt singing her hair even further and chasing away any thoughts of shivering in the not quite physical cold. Behind the walls, she can hear the usual sounds of beds rattle and things falling but something...something sounds different. Like a pounding against a door. Or feet running or… is it Brock maybe? Has he gotten too close? She'd thought they'd developed a routine-her, Pikachu and Mewtwo clearing the way while Brock and a few other checked the doors and rooms left in their path, but maybe?

She cocks her head and listens, a puzzled expression settling on her face as she hears Brock cough behind her, around the corner. He _is_ too close but...he can't be what she heard.

She closes her eyes against the smoke and heat and listens.

There! A door halfway down the hall.

Someone is pounding on it.

Without thinking Misty crosses the hall, hits the door and calls out, "Ash?"

She holds her breath.

"Yes." comes back and she nearly cries. It's him, or it sounds like him anyway.

"Thank, Arceus." Misty gestures to Pikachu, a simple gesture that the mouse immediately recognizes. He stands, feet braced, in front of the door, ready to let loose. Misty stands beside him, feet apart and draws her arm back with her hand balled tightly in a fist. She takes a deep breath and then…

Wait… "Listen, Ash? Step away from the door." She pauses a beat and nods at Pikachu. Together they hit the door and it bursts inward in an implosion of steel and sparks. She can practically hear Mewtwo raising an eyebrow at her-they're not supposed to check room, just clear the path-but she doesn't care. She steps through the door and, faster than she can make out she's surrounded by the crushing hug of her best friend…

Or…

Can she still call him that? Or are they…

Is he her…

Mew, they need to have that talk… not that now is even close to the right time...

Ash buries his face in her hair and Misty stiffens at the weird gesture, he's never done that before...wait.

Her eyes widen-is this even Ash?

She shakes her head, Mewtwo is right behind her, if Ash isn't….if…

Mewtwo will know.

"What took you so long?" Ash asks, voice muffled slightly by her hair.

Misty blinks, rigid in shock for a few moments and then smiles, shaking her head against his shoulder. She throws her arms around Ash and hugs him back, _accidentally_ thumping his back with her full strength. He cringes in her arms. "Shut it, Ketchum. I'm here, aren't I?" She laughs, Pikachu agreeing with a happy _kaa_.

He smiles into her hair and for the first time in what feels like days, Misty relaxes-at least she does until Ash tenses against her.

"Mewtwo." He hisses.

"Wha-" she starts, words lost as her teeth start to chatter violently in a cold that she knows isn't there. Something...Mewtwo, it must be Mewtwo. Setting her jaw rigidly she opens her mouth to explain to the person she hopes is actually Ash just what is happening when the world blurs around her. She stumbles, dizzily gulping in air as she tries to regain any sense of the room. Something-someone's?-holding her wrist and it tugs, pulling her into something soft and heavy and warm.

Ash.

She must have run into his back. She shudders and brushes her hands against her arms to ward off the…

Hang on...

...it's not actually cold anymore and...the room isn't as dim as it was. She can even make out the tiny red stain on the back of Ash's hat from the last time Ash'd allowed Pikachu to wear it while eating.

Which she shouldn't be able to see...at least there's not a mirror nearby.

She shifts, stepping just away from Ash's back and he pivots, staring at both her and Mewtwo. Briefly, his eyes meet hers and something like...fear seems to pass across his face. He shivers and Misty... looks away. Eyes flicking towards Mewtwo with her eyebrows raised slightly in question. Mewtwo dips his shoulders in assent and Misty sighs in relief.

It is Ash.

It's really Ash.

She starts to smile but stops when she catches his face….he's still looking at her like….

Oh. Right...

Misty smacks her head, and to her surprise the temperature plummets and the world dims. Which is...interesting...it's more control then she's had but...

Ash shrugs and turns from her to glare at Mewtwo like...he doesn't know. Arceus, how much had happened in the short time they'd been apart? How long has it been since she and Ash have shared nearly everything that's happened to either of them? And really it's not like she can expect that Ash will somehow just know about the sort of truce that she's established with Mew...hang on.

Had Ash said Mewtwo?

Outloud?

Misty's eyes widen and Ash, with instincts borne of many friendly slaps, shrinks back slightly.

"You remember Mewtwo?" she gasps.

Ash nods back with wide eyes. "Of course," he huffs, as though this isn't earth shattering news.

Misty steps back from Ash and raises an eyebrow, arms crossed in a distrustful gesture. "What about New Island? Or the storm?"

"Uh… yeah?" Ash blinks and steps back, his eyes searching her face. He's confused, that little upturn in his lips the mark of a growing smirk-he probably thinks that she's joking but something serious must pass in front of her eyes because the smirk melts before it's even formed. He nods, eyebrows quirked in a question despite the firmness of his tone. "Of course I do."

Misty takes a deep breath. He remembers. He remembers! It's not just her, it's not Mewtwo returning the memories. It's not...Arceus, the pokedex must even be effected! It has to be...this place. So when they leave…

She whirls from Ash, stepping past him to face Mewtwo with a grin spreading on her face.

"It's… not you." She exclaims in a tremulous voice. "It's...here...this place...the information...if no one from Team Rocket leaves then they won't know…" Mewtwo stares at her impassively and she tilts her head up, frustratedly exclaiming to the ceiling that, "We don't have to..."

"It will violate our truce." Mewtwo intones boredly, ending her statement before she's even gotten the words out.

"How? We only needed a truce in the first place because you thought..." Misty hisses at the same time as Ash leans to her, eyes still locked on Mewtwo, and whispers, "Truce? Misty, what is that thing talking about?"

"Just- Just a deal we made, Ash." Misty starts, waving his words off with the shaking of her hand. Her eyes narrow and she shifts, full attention on the large pokémon in the room's door. "One that should change now that we know better."

Mewtwo hums noncommittally "I'll think on it, girl. But it won't change the prophecy."

Behind Misty, Ash scoffs and scrubs his hand down his face. "Arceus, what am I supposed to save now?" he groans, voice muffled by his palm.

"Not you, her. But no doubt your time will come again, boy."

"Misty?" Ash asks quietly, voice shaking strangely.

Misty glances towards Mewtwo, catching his eyes in a moment of uneasy silence. A silence broken by Brock voice ringing stridently behind them. He doesn;t sound alarmed though, more like...searching...is he calling her name? Pikachu's ears shoot up and he quirks his head for a moment before darting from the room, pushing past Mewtwo with a warning shock as he goes.

Misty takes in a deep breath and turns back to Ash, only to let it out again in surprise. He's laughing, quietly, his shoulders shaking in time with swallowed giggles.

"How's it feel, Mist? Having to save the world? What are you going to do, punch it until it listens?"

"She doesn't-" Mewtwo starts, only to stop at Misty's glare.

Ash doesn't seem to notice, having given in to the apparent hilarity of Misty saving anything in any way other than violence. She groans and, plastering a fake smile on her face grits out, "Laugh it up, Pallet Town." She punches him, lightly, but his laughter only increases.

"I'm surprised you find her death funny." Mewtwo states.

His laughter stops suddenly, a light going out in a storm. "What?" he croaks.

"Nothing." Misty rushes, shaking her head at Mewtwo. The pokémon falls silent but Ash grabs Misty's arm once more and spins her towards him.

"Hey," he whispers, grabbing her other shoulder so that she has to meet his eyes. "What does Mewtwo mean?"

"Nothing," Misty sighs.

"Misty?" Ash pleads and she breaks.

"It's a prophecy, Ash. So you know...all the normal junk: end of the world, death, annoyingly vague language. It's just, you know, a little more focused on me with the whole death part."

Ash breathes out and Mewtwo is quiet. In the silence they can hear small feet scampering down the hall followed by larger, heavier steps-more than would just belong to Brock. The others must have caught up. They listen, the three of them, for a few moments before Ash breaks the quiet, whistling out a long sigh.

"OK, so the prophecy is about you dying?" He reaches out and gently pushes what's left of her bangs from Misty's forehead. "So what, Mewtwo wants to keep you safe? That doesn't sound terrible."

"Safe," Misty smirks wryly, leaning into his touch. She pushes away, wiping an angry tear as she rounds on Mewtwo. "That's not how he sees it."

The footsteps get closer, more frantic but Mewtwo pays them no heed.

"Once that might have worked," the pokémon intones. "But now...she can't fall into their hands."

"What does that mean?" Ash's voice drops to a gruff demand and Misty shivers. Dangerous, he sounds dangerous.

"It means, "Misty spits, "that he wanted...wants...to…"

"I must remove the temptation she provides."

Ash swallows hard. "And we're just supposed to let that happen?"

"Well, I wasn't exactly going to just go quietly. But it doesn't matter." Misty puts her hand up, preventing Ash from breaking into the conversation without even glancing to see that he had opened his mouth. "Mewtwo, you have to see...it's just being here...outside of this place…" She trails off.

Mewtwo leans back, his expression never changing but somehow conveying disbelief.

Misty groans. "Just...Ash, did you remember Mewtwo before we got here?"

"...No." Ash answers after a beat, surprise raw in his tone.

"Me either, it's just here. So if only we leave…"She trails off once more, hoping that Mewtwo will see reason.

"Perhaps," the pokémon hums in response. He straightens out and glances down the hallway, "Perhaps not. In either case however, we should-"

But whatever he was going to say is lost in Brock pushing past him into the room, Mari following quickly behind.

"Thank Arceus, you found him." Brock exclaims, throwing an arm around Ash in a quick hug. He pulls back, relief fading from his eyes as quickly as it had entered. "We need to get out of here."

"Sooner would be better." Mari adds, warily glancing at Mewtwo.

"Why?" Ash questions, only to be answered by Mari grabbing his arm and drawing him through the door.

Misty and Brock nearly have to sprint, pushing past Mewtwo to get into the hall, to catch up.

"What is happening?" Misty calls just outside the door. Brock grabs her arm and pulls her along as well, following Mari down the hall to join the small collection of Strayanthe trainers waiting.

"There may, or may not be, but definitely are, a few bombs rigged in the building. So we need to be leaving… if you like keeping your limbs attached to your body that is." Mari calls over her shoulder.

Ash stops, digging his feet in so Mari is stopped with him as she attempts to haul Ash down the hall. "How did you…" he trails off, incredulously, gesturing at the building around them.

Mari shrugs. "When you literally grow up in a rebellion you learn a few things. Mostly about how to make things go boom. Like this building. We should go." She shoos her hands and the trainers waiting, scatter, running down the hall and vanishing out of Misty's view.

"We need to leave." Mewtwo agrees from behind Misty as he glides past her. "Before.."

But for the second time in the night his sentence is ended by someone else cutting him off, this time a cold laugh echoing down the hallway and over his words.

In front of her, Ash seems to huddle in on himself, swallowing hard as the sound echoes. He clenches his fists and turns, eerily slowly, towards the laughter.

"Well, well, well, what _do_ we have here, James?" a high, cold voice asks. Misty gulps, swallowing a mouthful of smoke filled air painfully hard and turns to stare down the opposite end of the hall. With all the smoke and still flickering fires, the whole hall is just barely visible even a mere two doors past Ash's own. There may as well be nothing there, but that laugh, it's unmistakable.

"You." She hisses.

"The Boss was right, Jessie. She took the bait." A male voice replies smoothly.

"That's right." A third voice breaks in and together, Meowth, Jessie and James step out from the smoke.

"Surrender the twerp and twerpette." Jessie calls down.

"Or don't, I'd much prefer to fight." James adds.

Misty cracks her back and steps away from Brock. "Fine," she starts but Mari stalks in front of her and pushes her back.

"Oh no." The other girl hisses. "These two are mine. Just get out of here."

"We can't leave you." Ash starts,

"In like two minutes you won't have the chance." Mari calls back as she pulls a pokeball from her belt. Victreebell and Koffing already materialized before her.

"We can't let her do this alone." Ash responds.

Misty digs in her pocket and tosses him Lapras's pokeball.

"This might help." She winks and pulls out Staryu's pokeball.

"Together then?" Ash asks, reaching out a hand. Misty nods and takes it, enlarging her pokeball.

She's going to call the star shaped being out when Mari cuts her off screaming over her shoulder towards them "Hey, cat-thing, want to get in on this?" Mari gestures towards Jessie, her charmander already trading razor leaf for flame thrower with Victreebell

Misty shivers as Mewtwo's eyes glow blue. A shard of twisted metal launches from near Misty's feet and skims just past Mari's head striking Jessie through her arm. "Do not address me as such."

"Then hit your target." Mari shoots back.

Jessie laughs, her dripping blood glinting in the fire, and demands that Koffing self destruct.

"Shit." Misty hisses, "We need to get out of here."

Mari turns back to them, and looks as though she's about to run when charmander calls out a frightened screech. He's trapped in Victreebell's vines. Mari winces and turns back around, only to be caught by Meowth and a scratch mid turn.

"Mari!" Ash screams.

An energy ball sails over past Misty's ear and hits Jessie, knocking her back. She stands up again, laughing despite the burn that covers her torso. Misty swallows hard.

They're all going to die here.

She glancing at her hand, clasped with Ashs'. At Pikachu on Ash's shoulder, the pokeballs in their other hands and at Brock fumbling for a Pokeball of his own.

This is it; the end.

She takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. At least they'll go down fighting.

"Stary-" She starts, but Mari cuts her off with a shake of her head.

"Hey, Mewtwo," Mari shouts, punching Meowth from her knees. "You're a psychic right? Get them the fuck out of here. This isn't their fight."

Mewtwo hums at her and another energy ball dissipates in his hand, he reaches out and grabs Brock with one hand, the other landing firmly on Ash's shoulder.

His eyes glow blue and Misty's stomach lurches.

"What?" Misty hears herself call just before the fight disappears in a gut wrenching whirlpool of sparking blue power. She's frozen, trapped in the path of sheer cold. Her headaches and her arms throb and everything…

Just…

fades….

She opens her eyes on the beach, everything bright and glowing even though she knows it's dark. Her stomach lurches and she rolls over, retching in the empty sand beside her.

Finished she takes a deep breath of salty air. The world goes dim and she coughs out frozen breath. No longer nauseous, she sits up suddenly and the world spins for a moment before slowly settling back. That….castle is still in front of her but...where are...she whips her head quickly to the right and left and breathes out a sigh of relief to find Ash and Brock and Pikachu and her bag in the sand beside her. Pikachu is dizzily sitting up, pawing concernedly at his trainer. He nods at her, offering a weak _chuu_ before returning to Ash.

Ash doesn't move.

Crawling, Misty makers her way over to him and Brock.

"Ash?" she whispers. "Brock?"

Brock stirs, rolling over in the sand before slowly sitting up.

Ash doesn't move.

Her breath catches in her throat...his hand twitches. In the dim light of the stars she's not even sure she's seen it but then he mumbles something that sounds suspiciously like a request for five more minutes into the sand.

Misty breathes out.

"You'ok?" Brock slurs, sitting beside her with his head in his hands. Misty nods and then stops mid motion, the action causing stars to swim behind her eyes.

"'Bout him?" Brock continues. She opens her mouth to say something when a light bursts onto the beach, read and orange bathing them in garish hues better fit for a magmar. Misty winces and throws herself to the beach and the sound of the explosion rocks over them.

Misty's ears ring and her mouth and eyes are gritty. She sits up once more, brushing sand from her hair and legs and takes a deep breath.

It's gone.

The base.

Team Rocket.

Everything.

She closes her eyes, a negative of the bright lights from moments before painted in pulsing red light behind her...

Wait….

The explosion hadn't…

Something is bright red and blinking...in...her pocket?

"Zzat my 'dex?" Ash croaks, he's sitting up but covered in glittering sand. Misty reaches out to brush it from him but stops mid motion. Her whole back is sore and raw like she's spent too much time in the sun. They were closer to the base than she'd thought. She looks over to Brock and frowns. He's shaking his head like he can't quite hear. His face is red. But seeing her eyes he smiles and points to the blinking light in her...well...Ash's jacket pocket.

"Think so." she whispers, voice hoarse against the empty beach.

"It has a signal!" Brock cheers. "And...we're on the coast...it's over."

"We have to go back for Mari." Ash forces himself to his feet and unsteadily walks forward, weaving a path towards the Team Rocket labs.

"We can't" Misty grabs him, knocking him off balance so that he falls back to the soft sand. "Besides…" she trails off.

Ash shakes her off and stands once more. "We have to. We can't just leave another trainer…"

"I understand that, Ash. But look." She points towards the empty space where the labs had been. "There's nothing left." Ash follows her hand, swallowing convulsively as he takes in the crater that had been the lab. "...There's no one left." She adds in a whisper.

And there isn't. No one could have survived that.

Nothing could have survived that.

Mewtwo can't...their deal has to be different now.

She looks up to the sky, shivering to find the giant pokémon there.

"Mewtwo," She calls up, pointing, "It's..." her words are swallowed by a huge whirring like a beedrill lifting off.

A wind whips up in the crater of the labs, swirling dust and ash and sand and stomach sinks. A bright yellow helicopter swirls from the dust and slinks away, across the sea.

Giovanni's helicopter.

He's gotten out, or someone has.

"Misty." Mewtwo replies coldly from the skies. "It's time." He glows a bright blue and Misty shivers, pushing herself to standing. Behind her, distantly she can hear Brock asking Ash what's going on and Pikachu cooing worriedly, but she doesn.t turn, choosing instead to brace herself.

She crosses her arms, tosses Ash's jack behind her and sets her feet. Defiantly, she glares upwards. "Bring it." She screams at the sky.

Mewtwo does.

* * *

A/N 2: So…someone has caught on to my madness…which is hilarious


	15. Buffy Vs Dracula

A/N: So…this one has been written for a while and just…you know…waiting for Aetheron to edit it but he was all caught up in gross adulting things like buying a house and painting said house and moving into said house. So…yeah…also though this title...I have been waiting for this title…because this chapter was supposed to have happened like 4 chapters ago

Buffy Vs. Dracula

Ringing.

There's a faint ringing in his ear, like the chime of a distant shrine. Only…

Only it seems to be getting closer.

And louder.

Brock groans and reaches to grab his pillow and pull it over his head. An action that ceases when his hand closes around...sand?

Arceus, it's everywhere. There's sand against his face and arms and...in his ears…

Groaning once again he struggles to sit up and for a few moments all thought stutters to a halt, drowned in a tsunami of nausea. He breathes out through his nose, slowly, his head spinning as if he'd spent the afternoon on one of those Arceus-damned carnival rides that Ash and Misty always seemed to con him on to.

Wait…

Ash?

Misty?

He swallows the nausea down and fights his eyes open, wincing even in the dull light of the night on the beach.

Right.

The beach.

He swallows again and takes a deep breath of salty air. He's on the beach but where are…

A groan by his head has him turning just in time to Ash sit up beside him, hand clutching his head and Pikachu _kaa_ ing worriedly.

"You okay?" Brock asks or would have if his words wouldn't immediately swallowed by a hacking cough. He doubles over coughing nothing but bile onto the beach. Ash, beside him, is not so lucky.

Brock wipes his mouth with the back of his hand and crawls over to Ash, patting his back as he finishes emptying his stomach onto the sand.

"You done?" Brock asks when Ash stops heaving. The words sound odd to his ears, muffled and dull but Ash nods miserably so it must be all his imagination. Besides, there are other things to worry about. Like, "Misty?"

Ash nods down the beach, worriedly and Brock finds his gaze following Ash's. He starts in shock when he finally manages to focus on the blurry image down the shore. It's Misty, he thinks anyway. The world is still blurred at the edges, but there's hardly anything else that matches the orange of Misty's hair. If it is her, the girl down the beach, then...well...it should be funny. That girl with Misty's orange hair is standing like the superheroes in those shows that he and Misty and Ash would occasionally watch in the lobbies of centers at 3 am when none of them could sleep, her feet apart and her arms crossed before her, as if she's glaring up at a supervillain.

What Brock wouldn't give for sleepless nights to be the worse problems facing them.

It's not though and Misty-or at least, Brock is fairly sure that the girl screaming at the sky is Misty-is dodging blasts of purple… fire, maybe..? as she screams; her whole body is taught, standing in a way that, had Misty been standing in front of Brock like that, he'd be apologizing for every action in the last year.

But…

What is she screaming?

Brock tilts his head, straining to hear the words through the buzzing in his head. But there's nothing. Just...murmurs like speaking under water. Squinting, Brock looks up from what has to be Misty and is surprised to find Mewtwo, that pokémon she'd brought with her to rescue himself and Ash, is the target of Misty's screams. He's floating somehow, Mewtwo is, a bright purple against the dark sky.

Brock shivers, the view is somehow familiar... though…

No…

It can't be…

He's sure he'd only met Mewtwo just a few hours earlier.

Still though...

Still.

Brock shudders.

Seeing that pokémon in the air, Brock can't help but feel that he's seen it before.

Somewhere…

In a room… with high ceilings and stone walls and stakes that….

Well…

It's familiar...and not just in the way that they always seem to wander into things they shouldn't deal with.

It's just….like a story he's heard many times before….

And one that hadn't ended well…

Brock swallows hard and nearly jumps when Ash taps his shoulder. Blinking, Brock tears his eyes from the distant pokémon and tries to focus on a now blurry Ash. His mouth is moving, Ash's is, but Brock can't hear anything over the sound of crashing waves.

…

Crashing waves coming from the very still, ocean that Brock can just make out over Ash's shoulder…

There's no way that's a good sign.

Ash taps him again, forcing Brock's face back to him. Slowly, Ash speaks again, no doubt repeating what he'd already said. Focusing, Brock tries, really tries, to read his lips but can make nothing out beyond a garbled plea to watch out.

Wait...

Watch out for what?

Ash tackles him down and something shoots past his head. For one shining moment the beach is alight, the sand is a million darkened mirrors to rival the stars. Everything glows a harsh blue, diamond light bounces. And then crashes, a diamond storm of sand and shells and rocks that crashes over their backs in a wave of sharp pain.

The beach blinks out to black.

Empty…

Listless…

Brock floats…

Something rings in his ear, distant and insistent and endless and...

Brock's eyes shoot open, and for a few moments all he can do is breathe and wait until the world is still and the nausea is gone. Breaths later he's finally sitting upright and brushing sand from his shoulders. He coughs, wiping grit and dust from his eyes. The world swims and he wonders, absently, if he hadn't decided to go punch for punch with his geodude again because really, he thought the one time would have been enough of a lesson. A moan to his left underscored by a weak _kaa_ and it all comes crashing back to him.

Strayanthe.

Team Rocket.

The beach.

Misty.

Mewtwo.

"Ash?" Brock shouts, nearly jumping to hear the voice in his ears. He must have said it out loud...but...it sounds so...distant...that can't be good.

A worried _piiika_ echoes somewhere to his left and slowly, slowly, Brock turns towards the sound, wincing with the movement. He's sore, everywhere...maybe he did go a few rounds with Geodude after all. Or Onix. Or maybe both of them together.

He clutches his head, focus completely absorbed by the throbbing pain blooming behind his left eye. In his ear, Pikachu offers a questioning _pika_ and Brock's shoulders jump. His whole body clenches with the movement, head throbbing so painfully that he shuts his eyes against the pain and waits for it to pass. He breathes slowly and finally, finally opens his eyes to find Ash offering him a hand. Brock reaches out and, after a few tries, grasps it so that Ash can pull him from the sand.

"You okay?" Ash asks, mouth set in a grim line.

Brock nods, pain climbing his neck with the movement. He stops midway, head hanging awkwardly down. "Misty?"

Ash opens his mouth to speak but is cut off by a terse "Busy" from somewhere ahead. Ash's mouth shuts quickly enough that Brock can hear his jaw audibly clack shut. Ash steps away and Brock, less stable than he'd believed, steps forward hard to catch his weight.

"You sure you're okay?" Ash whispers hoarsely, eyes already focused somewhere ahead of him, like he already knows Brock is fine and is already sighting the next problem.

Brock hums back, breath caught in his throat-just what does Ash see? Dizzily he takes a hard step forward and, finally balanced, straightens, slowly, painfully, until he can follow Ash's gaze.

Brock isn't at all surprised to find that it's Misty who has claimed all of Ash's attention. It's been that way since Brock can remember. What is surprising is the glittering dust cloud that surrounds her; a ring of sand and debris that's not quite settling even as she stands in the middle of it. Somewhere in front of her, nearly touching her feet, is a large lump is the sand, a dark shape amongst the shining dust. Slowly, she taps the shape with her foot. It doesn't move and faintly, in the dark, Brock can see her grin.

She turns to them and Brock swallows a hard breath, no light reflects from her eyes. They are dark despite the light reflecting from the falling sand around her. "Get out of here." She commands, voice carrying in the silence of the beach. And it's unnerving really, the silence of the beach. Brock is sure it had been loud only seconds earlier but now...it's calm. Quiet. There are no sounds; no waves, no sounds not even the chirping of bug pokémon. Only falling sand and the stars and Misty's voice stretching to them.

Ash answers back, a shouted "Not without you." in a voice harsher than Brock's heard.

"Arceus damn it, Ketchum. Yes, without me." Misty spits and the sand falls around her. Her eyes glisten in the dark and Brock blinks, like some spell has been broken, Brock is finally able to see Misty. She looks tired and worn. Sand and sweat and blood are mixed a paste down her arm and something dark and wet runs down her cheek. She sounds tired too; breathy, like they've just run the last mile to a town. And tinged with panic.

They all need to leave; Misty included. He's going to open his mouth to say as such but Ash, as he always does where Misty's concerned, beats him to it.

"I can't let you do this alone." Ash steps away from Brock, limping down the beach towards Misty.

Misty laughs, a cold sound in the empty beach. Brock shivers at the sound and Pikachu _chuu's_ worriedly. It's not a good laugh, but bitter and tired. Ash straightens at the sound, back rigid and stance widening as though ready for a fight. Ash breathes in and Brock cuts him off before he can speak.

"I thought you didn't _let_ Misty do anything, Ash?" Brock coughs.

The two of them breathe out in unison and Ash's body sags, the tension dripping from his shoulders.

"I don't" Ash whispers, wiping at his eyes. "Pikachu…" Pikachu jumps to attention, staring down the beach in wait of his master's command.

"Stay with, Ash" Misty cuts him off. Pikachu nods, and turns towards Ash, waiting.

Ash sags, body drooping further then even Brock had thought it could. "But, Mist...I…" He trails off, unable to finish his thought.

Misty nods. "I know." she agrees. "But you need to go."

Pikachu offers a solemn _kaa_ towards his trainer but Ash ignores it, focused entirely on his exchange with Misty. Pikachu groans and scampers to Brock, tugging on his leg and pointing. The lump is moving, rocking back and forth in front of Misty.

"Guys…" Brock whispers, but both Ash and Misty glare at him, before turning to one another once more.

"I can't leave without you." Ash tries again.

Misty sighs, shaking her head. "You can so...look: you've got Togepi, I owe you a talk. I have to come back." She smiles.

"Brock can take him. And…." Ash returns, uncertainty plain in his voice.

In the sand, the lump raises up, a faint glow lighting the dark.

"Misty," Brock starts, but he needn't have said anything. The girl whips around almost as soon as the glow begins, a faint tremor in her arms like she's shivering.

"Look out!" Ash calls as she turns, his teeth chattering on his words.

"Just go, Ash." Misty screams back. Her body is almost lost in the sand and dust floating around her. She turns once more, facing Ash and Brock and her eyes are lost in the dark. "I'll catch up."

"Now, now." Mewtwo laughs. "There's no need to lie to the boy."

"I'm not lying," Misty grunts. From as far back as he is, Brock can see her dig her feet into the sand, straining like she's holding something back. Ash slips towards him, holding out Misty's red bag.

"Take this." He whispers.

Brock blinks. "Misty said…"

"Forget what Misty said. Take Togepi, I'm going to go help her." He drapes the bag over Brock's hand and starts forward, moving to dart around his jacket in the sand. Brock grabs him by the wrist and opens his mouth to ask him...something...it hardly seems fair that this will be the second time he's had to stop Ash from running to Misty's aid in the last...24? 48? Some number of hours. But it's Misty herself who argues against it, interrupting Brock before whatever half though of speech can tumble out of his mouth.

"Ash," Misty shouts, dropping into a crouch to avoid...something Brock doesn't see. The sand just behind her explodes upwards in a glittering bomb just seconds after she drops, so she must have missed it...whatever it is. "What in the name of Arceus is so hard about 'get out of here'? I can hold him off, just go!"

Mewtwo laughs, a cold sound that whips, shear cold, around Brock. Ash shivers. "You can't hold me off, girl."

"I did just fine before." Misty hisses, lashing out suddenly with her fist. Mewtwo doubles over and for a brief moment, Brock thinks she's won.

It's a moment that ends far too quickly as the large pokémon rises back into the sky, out of Misty's reach. He glows, a bright purple overtaking the night sky.

Misty scoffs, "What are you going to do? You can't hit me, there's nothing to throw at me except sand and you won't risk Ash."

"Astute of you," Mewtwo whispers, voice carrying like ice down the beach. "I won't hit _Ash_." His hands glow.

He won't hit Ash….

So who will he…

Oh muk…

Brock's eyes widen and he hits the sand, Ash diving beside him just in time for a blast of bright light to soar straight through where Brock's body had been seconds earlier. It hits the sand behind them, showering them in dirt and rocks and dust.

Brock's eyes shut, darkness over taking his vision even as Ash shakes his shoulder and calls his name.

He's numb. His arms, legs, fingers, toes: nothing.

Emptiness and black and...sand…

Why is there always sand.

He sits up coughing and beside him, Pikachu sighs in relief.

Brock turns to the sound, slowly, the world fading in and out like skipped scenes. Ash is lying beside him, still silent and immobile. "Ash?" he whispers, shaking the boy. Ash moan in response and Pikachu sighs once more.

A crash from down the beach draws Brock's eye and he glances up in time to see Mewtwo fall from the sky once more.

Misty huffs out a deep breath, "Please, Brock. Get Ash out of here." She shouts to him, Mewtwo rising once more at her back.

"Now, now, little girl." Mewtwo laughs breathily, and Brock is cheered knowing that the fight is at least taking some out of him as well. "This bravado is fooling no one. You're scared, in over your head, and you know it. This battle was over before we started. Go quietly and I'll even let your friends walk away… alive. It's a waste of everyone's time to keep fighting."

Brock shakes Ash once more and the boys eyes open slowly. Brock smiles. Now if he can just get Ash up, maybe they can do something to help.

"Well it's my time to waste." Misty scoffs. "Besides," she lunges out but Mewtwo dodges easily, shifting slightly to the left as she punches. The kick that follows hits him though and Mewtwo falls once more only to rise in the same breath. "A friend once told me that it'd be a waste of time not to do something just because I was scared."

"That 'a girl," Brock whispers under his breath as he slowly helps Ash stand.

He's wobbly, Ash is, in the sand, stepping quickly to catch and re-catch lost balance. And his eyes are unfocused. He shakes his head once and then twice and moves like he's going to shake it again. Brock catches Ash's head in his hands.

"Ash?" He questions, frantically searching the younger boys eyes. One pupil looks larger, maybe, and Brock thinks that he remembers that being the sign of something truly bad. A concussion maybe? From what Brock can remember, those are bad.

Ash looks back at him dazedly, eyes struggling to focus on his face. He shakes his head.

"Brock? I feel...sick," he slurs.

Brock's stomach drops; this is bad, they need to find help and soon. A crash sounds down the beach and Brock looks away from Ash for a moment. Misty's fallen but she's getting back up, shakily pulling herself to her feet.

"Low blow." She shouts angrily. Mewtwo doesn't respond, behind him a rock pummels towards Misty, forcing her to roll out of the way before she's fully back on her feet. She raises her face to look at Mewtwo and the pokémon staggers, dropping from the air enough that his feet touch the ground. A thud beside him draws Brock's attention back to Ash. He's fallen and is sitting on the sand, swaying in time to a spinning world Brock can't see.

"We need to get out of here." Brock whispers, kneeling down so that he can see Ash's face.

Ash pales, eyes widening as he leans to the side and coughs, choking up what little is left in his stomach.

Brock leans over and helps Ash to sit back up, ignoring the lightning that now seems to be cracking from the fight behind him.

Ash wipes his mouth and groans, "Pikachu?"

Pikachu darts up, ears drooped in a gesture Brock know is concern. Ash pats his head and looks to Brock. "We need to get out of here." He slurs.

Brock nods. "How?"

"Well...we're on the beach, right?" His words are slow, each teased out with a pause to breathe or maybe think. His eyes are closed as he speaks and his hand clutches his head. He must have a headache...which might be a good sign? Brock can't remember and that alone is terrifying. Misty will kill him if Ash is hurt...and she makes through her fight…

Brock turns his head to check on Misty once more but but Ash reaches out to turn his face back. The boy misses, hand sweeping out somewhere to Brock's right but Brock turns his face anyway. Whatever Ash is trying to say, must be important.

"On the coast?" Ash breathes out

Brock nods once more, concerned that the statement seems to be a question in Ash's mind. "Yes, we are. You remember how we got here, right, Ash?

Ash scoffs, "Of course," and pauses, a crash from down the beach stealing his words for a moment. "We were trying to get here though, I think? Didn't we have to do something once we got here...?"

Brock's eyes widen. "Arceus, Ash. You're right. We just need your pokedex…"

Ash turns to Pikachu and tilts his head, sending the electric mouse running down the beach.

"Ash, Misty said that Pikachu had to..." Brock starts only to duck mid phrase when a large boulder flies over head. It misses them but hits close enough to spray them with sand and shells.

"Hey!" Misty shouts from ahead of them, her words bouncing down the beach. "We had an agreement; the fight stays with us."

"Stop dodging then." Mewtwo returns.

"That wouldn't be much of a fight..." Misty shouts back, sarcasm echoing across the sand.

Brock bites back a laugh; still Misty even in the middle of...whatever this is. He doesn't understand why she's fighting or how she seems to be holding her own against a pokémon but then, he'd never grasped the rules here. Everything was different and wrong. He turns to stare at them again but Misty and Mewtwo both are obscured behind a cloud of dust and sand. Every so often the entire swirl of it lights up blue and purple. But he can't see them. Not even Misty's hair, usually a beacon when she's missing, is visible.

"Brock?" Ash slurs from behind him and Brock spins from the fight. He's going to get whiplash if he keeps doing that.

Ash is kneeling in the sand with Pikachu in front of him holding something in his mouth. Something white and blue and….Ash's jacket? Why does he sound so….Ash pulls a red box from the fabric which blinks a steady light as soon as it is free from the jacket. His pokedex?...

Arceus, his pokedex!

Ash hands it to him shrugging after fumbling with it for a few moments.

"I don't…" he trails off and Brock nods, pressing buttons until the light is constant and blinding.

Brock glances out towards the sea and vaguely, in the distance, he can see a light; boat or pokémon he doesn't know but he can….

Why has it suddenly gotten very loud?

"Brock!" Ash shouts, diving for cover.

Brock has barely enough time to register that the light out at sea has blinked twice, a signal he and Lance had agreed on, before the world grows dark once more.


End file.
